COVID-19 infection: epidemiological, clinical, and radiological expression among adult population

Abstract

Background: High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has proved to be an important diagnostic tool throughout the COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks. Increasing number of the infected personnel and shortage of real-time transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as well as its lower sensitivity made the CT a backbone in diagnosis, assessment of severity, and follow-up of the cases. Results: Two hundred forty patients were evaluated retrospectively for clinical, laboratory, and radiological expression in COVID-19 infection. One hundred eighty-six non-severe cases with home isolation and outpatient treatment and 54 severe cases needed hospitalization and oxygen support. Significant difference between both groups was encountered regarding the age, male gender, > 38° fever, dyspnea, chest pain, hypertension, ≤ 93 oxygen saturation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, elevated D-dimer, high serum ferritin and troponin levels, and high CT-severity score (CT-SS) of the severe group. CT-SS showed a negative correlation with O2 saturation and patients’ outcome (r − 0.73/p 0.001 and r − 0.56/p 0.001, respectively). Bilateral peripherally distributed ground glass opacities (GGOs) were the commonest imaging feature similar to the literature. Conclusion: Older age, male gender, smoking, hypertension, low O2 saturation, increased CT score, high serum ferritin, and high D-dimer level are the most significant risk factors for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Follow-up of the recovered severe cases is recommended to depict possible post COVID-19 lung fibrosis.