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NewsLong COVID-19 and the Lungs: What is Happening in the Airways?

Apr 22, 2025

New research from the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI) has identified inflammation in the lungs’ smallest airways as the cause of pulmonary long COVID-19.

Dr. Rachel Eddy prepares the MRI at St. Paul’s Hospital. (Photo courtesy of Providence Research)

What is long COVID?

Detailed lung scans made possible with xenon MRI

Images from a study using xenon gas MRI show lung function differences in participants who never had COVID-19, those who recovered, and those with long COVID. (European Respiratory Journal)

Single-cell profiling identified inflammation in small airways

Inflammation is likely to resolve

“Prevention, breathing in clean air, refraining from smoking and dusty environments, those are, I think, very important preventative measures. If patients keep on doing that, over time we think this inflammation will settle on its own,”

— Dr. Don Sin, HLI Director

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