A Fatal Case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a Patient With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Abstract

The number of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been exponentially increasing everyday. It is important to recognize the comorbidities and risk factors associated with this highly contagious and serious disease that has caused thousands of deaths worldwide. Patients with certain conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung diseases have been reported to develop serious complications from COVID-19. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease that is more prevalent in the elderly population, the same group that are more susceptible to serious complications from COVID-19. Our literature search did not reveal any review about COVID-19 in IPF patients. We report a patient with IPF who was exposed to COVID-19 from her spouse and died from its complications. This case would help to raise the awareness among IPF patients to follow the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.