Role of CT Scan in Diagnosis of COVID-19 Infection- A Review
Hossam A. El-Kenawy *
Alahmadi Hospital, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
Balto, Abdulaziz Abdulrahman A
king Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
Almutawah, Fatimah Hussain M
King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Saad Alamir Alqahtani
King Khaled University, Saudi Arabia.
Ghulman, Maan Bassam A
King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammedsaleh, Maani Mahmoud A
Istanbul university-Cerrahpasa, Turkey.
Alsalhi Turki Abdulaziz M
Qassim University - Unaizah College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman Mohammad A. AL Suqair
Qassim University - Unaizah College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed, Moayad Khalid A
King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
Aldhahri, Abdulrahman Mansour S
King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.
Hatim Bakheet Aloufi
University of Hail, Saudi Arabia.
AlAli, Danah Yousif M
King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.
Nurah Abdullah Alabidan
Ibn Sina National College, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Since it was declared a worldwide pandemic, COVID-19 has ravaged almost all over the world and has overloaded several health-care systems. The pandemic also resulted in job losses as a result of lengthy shutdowns, which burdened the global economy. Even though significant clinical research progress has led to a better perceiving of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) nature and the disease (COVID-19) management, preventing the virus's spread has become a major concern as SARS-CoV-2 continues to wreak havoc around the world. Several countries suffered from the second or third wave of viral disease outbreaks, primarily caused by the mutation of SARS-CoV-2. Imaging is critical in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with new coronavirus-infected pneumonia (NCIP). The primary imaging modality in clinically suspected cases is CT scan and it is useful for monitoring imaging changes following therapy. Therefore, CT is regarded as a useful diagnostic technique for clinically suspected cases of COVID-19. CT has the ability to detect patients who have a negative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) but are highly suspicious of NCIP in terms of clinical problems. In addition, the results of a CT scan may also reveal information concerning the severity of the condition. In this review article, the diagnosis of COVID-19 is discussed and CT characteristics are defined based on the newest research for the diagnosis and management of COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19, computed tomography, CT, radiology, diagnosis, viral infection, respiratory