How accurate is chest imaging for diagnosing COVID-19 and why is this question important?
People with suspected COVID-19 need to know quickly whether they are infected, so they can receive appropriate treatment, self-isolate, and inform close contacts.
Currently, a formal diagnosis of COVID-19 requires a laboratory test (RT-PCR) of nose and throat samples. RT-PCR requires specialist equipment and takes at least 24 hours to produce a result. It is not completely accurate, and may require a second RT-PCR or a different test to confirm diagnosis. With rising number of cases, RT-PCR results are taking much longer and not everybody is able to get a test done.
COVID-19 is primarily a disease of the lungs. Clinicians may use chest imaging to diagnose people who have COVID-19 symptoms, while awaiting RT-PCR results or when RT-PCR results are negative, and the person has COVID-19 symptoms.
Findings of various studies indicate that chest CT is sensitive and moderately specific for the diagnosis of COVID‐19. A negative chest CT examination result certainly does not exclude COVID-19. The proportion of false-positive chest CT examination results is substantial and due to overlapping imaging features with numerous other diseases, including other viral pneumonias. Importantly, however, the differentiation between different types of viral pneumonias at chest CT may not be relevant from a practical point of view, because the in-hospital infection control precaution requirements for these various types are basically identical. Thus, chest CT may have utility for excluding COVID-19 infection in a symptomatic patient. It also gives faster reports as compared to RT-PCR. CT useful in assessing the severity of lung involvement and helps in prognostication.
We are performing HRCT chest for patients with Covid-19 infection at reasonable rates. We follow all safety precautions and our staff is fully vaccinated against Covid. Ample physical distancing is followed for your safety. We have the least waiting time for the scan. Report is provided soon after the scan for your convenience. A high resolution video of the CT shall be sent to your phone, which very useful for online consultations. Our high end CT scan machine gives excellent image quality and our experienced radiologists provide accurate and timely reports. We have low dose HRCT protocols for pediatric patients and young adults, to reduce the ill effects of radiation. Radiation dose is 3 times less compared to the routine chest CT with no compromise in image quality. Just let the technologist know if you would like to have the low dose scan.