Is it possible to diagnose COVID-19 by performing only thorax CT and clinical findings

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic and increasing rapidly as a global health emergency which is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The realtime reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR test) is considered as a gold standard method for diagnosing (COVID-19). However, the test has some limitations as it is not universally available, turnaround times can be lengthy, and reported sensitivities vary The aim of the study was to describe the imaging features of thorax computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing COVID-19. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 36 patients were recruited from the emergency room and outpatient settings at a tertiary-care hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Thorax CT was done and correlated with clinical findings to diagnose COVID-19. Results: A total of 36 of 41 patients were screened for thorax CT and were confirmed as COVID-19. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the age-distribution and gender for clinical and radiological findings. Conclusions: Thorax CT with clinical findings should be preferred as early diagnosis of COVID-19 and follow-up period.