Correlation of computerized tomography findings of novel corona virus disease with the duration of clinical presentation

Background and objective: Physicians were more interested in using CT imaging techniques because of the limitations of RT-PCR during the COVID-19 pandemic and CT proved high specificity but moderate sensitivity in the diagnosis of the disease. The aim of the study was to find the correlation of the CT scan findings of the novel coronavirus disease with the duration of clinical presentation. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in governmental and non-governmental tertiary hospitals in Erbil city that receive COVID-19 patients. The study started from May 2021 till June 2022. A convenience sampling method was used and 100 COVID -19 patients were included in the study. The Dutch Radiological Society CO-RADS assessment scheme was used to find the degree of suspicion for pulmonary involvement of COVID-19. The semi quantitative CT severity score was used to assess the degree of parenchymal involvement per lobe. A score less than 8 is considered mild, between 8-15 means moderate, and more than 15 is considered severe lung involvement. Results: Significant differences were found between age groups and stages of disease (P = 0.028). The highest rate of severe cases was in two age groups (40-59 and 60-79 years); 50% and 40% respectively. The bilateral ground-glass appearance was the predominant feature in all three degrees of the disease, 76%, 60%, and 52% respectively. The Spearman's Correlation Coefficient (r) was calculated, and a positive correlation was found between the age and CT- scores (r =0.188, P = 0.061). A positive correlation was noticed between the time of first symptoms appeared and CT scores with a significant P-value (r = 0.382, P <0.001). Conclusion: A positive correlation was detected between CT scoring and the duration of the clinical presentation. The CT scoring methods used in the current study were beneficial and applicable in predicting COVID-19 pneumonia. Keywords: Computerized tomography; COVID-19; Correlation; RT-PCR; CO-RADS.