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Comment
. 2020 Jul:15:897-903.
doi: 10.2217/fmb-2020-0098. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

The use of radiological imaging alongside reverse transcriptase PCR in diagnosing novel coronavirus disease 2019: a narrative review

Michael Naguib  1 , Fathi Moustafa  1 , Mustafa Thaer Salman  1 , Nermin Kamal Saeed  2   3 , Manaf Al-Qahtani  1   2
Affiliations
Comment

The use of radiological imaging alongside reverse transcriptase PCR in diagnosing novel coronavirus disease 2019: a narrative review

Michael Naguib et al. Future Microbiol. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

The diagnosis of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a challenge in many countries due to nonspecific symptoms and variable incubation period. The current reference test is reverse transcriptase PCR. Many studies have reported high sensitivities of CT scans and suggested that they can be used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 alongside reverse transcriptase PCR. The current data about CT scans are highly variable and incoherent. Therefore, new multicentric studies in different countries are needed to better understand the role of CT scans in COVID-19 diagnosis. In this report, we will discuss the clinical relevance of each test and the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College of Radiology recommendations regarding the use of imaging in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; CT scan; chest x-ray; diagnostic radiology; virology.

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References

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