RE: Re-occuring symptoms of Covid 1912 Jun 2020 17:02
Your lungs expand against a resistance. The major part of this is the surface tension caused by the layer of liquid linning your lungs. Mother nature makes you produce surfactant which, like soap, lowest surface tension.
Premature babies don't make surfactant and left untreated develop hyline membrane disease. The hyalinr membranes are basically all the crap caused by damage of not being able to inflate lungs - dead cells etc.
The surfactant is produced by type II cells. I suspect the virus or at least the inflammation caused by the virus knocks the cells out. Therefore no surfactant.
I had a random thought that treating with mucolytic would help bring up the crap on the lungs. People have tried surfactant in adults with limited success (I think dose related but no evidence). There are some trials planned with surfactant protein D which has anti infective properties but not sure if PIs can invest or whether it will work. KL4 is a synthetic surfactant but the guys who own that have been making promises and burning cash for years.
DNase might help make membranes less sticky - think its generic now but Roche originally. Pharmaxis have Bronchitol but many be hypersonic saline would be just as good.
Not a Dr and talking off top of head.