Pulmonary aspergillosis after COVID-19, a case report

Abstract

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that spreads worldwide, can progress rapidly, affect individuals of all ages, and cause death, especially in the elderly and people with chronic diseases. It has predisposed a relatively high number of patients to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and co-infections are a frequent complication, especially during prolonged hospital stays. Bacterial or viral co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in many studies, but knowledge of Aspergillus co-infection in patients with COVID-19 is limited. This study presents a 57-year-old male patient with COVID-19 who had had no lung disease before COVID-19 pneumonia. However, after COVID-19 pneumonia with sequels and treatments that include corticosteroids and IL-6 receptor antagonists, an invasive pulmonary aspergillus (IPA) cavity occurred immediately. In addition to the fact that COVID-19 infection progresses with destructive parenchymal damage and sequelae, the effectiveness of treatment is limited, and treatment-related side effects and complications can be examined. Therefore, clinical and radiological follow-up of patients whose symptoms persist after infection is essential.