Your own citation says just the opposite- why do you people fall for this?here is the kicker.... the lung damage is not from the virus but rather from the ventilators.
At this point, COVID-19 can trigger an exaggerated immune response setting off a chain reaction which causes increased inflammation and fluid to fill the lungs. This affects approximately 14 percent of infected people. When this happens, pneumonia sets in as the fluid attracts bacteria as well as the virus itself. Breathing becomes difficult and patients need to be put on a ventilator.
It is this process of excess inflammation brought on by an overreacting immune system that is the biggest danger to the lungs. It can cause irreversible damage to the air sacs on the periphery of the lungs known as alveoli. These are delicate balloon-like structures which fill with air when we take a breath in and allow the oxygen to pass from the lungs into the blood for transportation to the rest of the body. They also help take carbon dioxide away.
The inflammation caused by the body's immune response to the virus can cause the alveoli to pop, giving the lungs a honeycomb-type appearance, or to harden so they are no longer able to do their job. When this happens, a condition similar to fibrosis or hardening of the lungs occurs.
According to WHO, SARS, a type of coronavirus that behaves similarly to COVID-19, did the same thing to the lungs of those affected by it and led to permanent damage to these people's ability to breathe normally.
All this would suggest that for a small number of people who are severely affected by the disease, breathing normally may never be the same again and getting short of breath on minimal exertion or requiring medication to help you breathe may become the norm.