Evaluation of the Conformity Between Chest CT Scan Results With Molecular Diagnosis Test in Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

Background and Aim: Since late 2019, with the emergence of a new type of coronavirus that causes a new respiratory disease called COVID-19, there have been many concerns about the spread of this disease and how to deal with it. Due to the ability of the virus to be transmitted rapidly, diagnosing the infected individuals in the early stages for isolating them is critical. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of Computed Tomography (CT) scan in diagnosing COVID-19. Methods & Materials: Participants were 212 patients admitted to hospital with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Demographic information, medical history, symptoms, and the chest CT scan results were collected and analyzed. Finally, the power of CT scans in the diagnosis of this disease was compared with the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) molecular test. Ethical Considerations: This study received ethical approval from the ethics committee of AJA University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.AJAUMS.REC.1399.091). Results: The sensitivity of CT scan in the diagnosis of COVID-19 was relatively high, but its false-positive results were also high. Conclusion: CT scan is a relatively sensitive method for diagnosing COVID-19, but caution should be made due to its high false-positive results which can lead to increased financial burden on the health system.

Keywords

• coronavirus
• covid-19
• computerized tomography
• reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction