Radiological modalities in the detection, assessment and monitoring of COVID-19 infection

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, posed a global health challenge that required rapid reorganization of healthcare systems and the implementation of strict protective measures. The gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 is certainly the RT-PCR test, along with radiological methods that provide specific visual indications of the disease. The radiological presentation of COVID-19 includes chest radiographs used to evaluate lung changes, CT which offers a detailed view of abnormalities caused by the infection, PET/CT and LUS, which further assist in diagnosis and monitoring, and MRI used for a detailed assessment of complications and post-COVID syndrome. The complications of COVID-19 infection with the highest incidence are pulmonary, neurological, hematological, renal, and cardiac. During the pandemic, their severity and unpredictability became evident, as they further complicated the disease outcome and recovery. Post-COVID syndrome and MIS-C provide particular inspiration and motivation for new scientific research due to their characteristic clinical features.