Pulmonary Opacities During COVID-19 Period: Sometimes Nothing is as it Seems

We report the case of a 76-year-old man who received a left upper lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma and after discharge presented with clinical symptoms (fatigue, dry cough, hypoxia, and muscle soreness) and radiological pattern of ground glass opacities suspected for acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 swab result was negative. based on clinical and radiological findings, acute interstitial pneumonia was diagnosed. Antibiotic treatment with intravenous piperacillin + tazobactam was administered with progressive improvement of respiratory conditions. Clinicians should carefully consider postoperative symptoms in patients undergoing lung resection in the light of clinical, radiological and laboratory evidence that can mimic Covid-19 pneumonia.