What is a CT scan, and does it help with COVID-19 detection?

According to the Mayo Clinic , CT — or computerized tomography — scans are a series of cross-sectional images created using multiple X-rays and computer processing. CT scans typically provide more detailed information, not only about bones, but also of the blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. They are used to detect internal injuries. In patients of COVID-19, chest CT scans can help detect COVID-pneumonia (a sign that the infection has turned severe), and other abnormalities in the lungs related to COVID-19. But, "diagnosing COVID is not its primary purpose," says Dr Sumit Ray.

In that case, why are CT scans being prescribed to diagnose COVID-19?

RT-PCRs are the most widely used mode of detecting the infection in a person, but questions have been raised about their accuracy. Though RT-PCR tests are considered the 'gold standard' in COVID testing by healthcare experts, they are known to render false negatives every now and then.

When should you get a CT scan done?

Dr Ray talks about the importance of context when it comes to any medical treatment. "CT scans too are only useful in specific contexts," and in the case of COVID, "this context is the severity of the infection," he says.

What should you know before getting a CT scan done, if you have COVID?

To break it down further, A CT scan is just an imagery technique, and not a test. This means that a chest CT scan can reveal certain chest abnormalities that may be a result of COVID, but these alone are not enough to diagnose COVID, like in the case of swab tests that are designed to detect a specific infection. CT scans can also show false negatives As Dr Ray mentioned before, no test is foolproof.

FAQ: COVID Testing & Treatment: When Should You Get a CT Scan?

As the rise in COVID-19 cases in India outpaces the healthcare system, the desperation to know more and try everything possible has gone up too.

With medical advice, tips, and recommendations flooding social media, it can be hard to sift solid facts from the husk. We've seen this with treatments like Remdesivir, Ivermectin, and plasma therapy.

But it's not just this, there has also been a surge in the indiscriminate use of CT scans to diagnose COVID. The catch, though, is that the cost of CT scans is not capped or moderated the way it is for other COVID tests, a factor that can turn its use exploitative.

Moreover, except in certain cases, not everyone who shows symptoms of COVID needs to get a CT scan done.

What is the truth about CT scans for COVID testing? When do you really need to get it done? FIT asks Dr Sumit Ray, critical care medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi.

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FAQ: When Should You Get a CT Scan? Can It Help Diagnose COVID?

Dr Sumit Ray, critical care medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi, explains who should get a CT scan.

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Topics: CT Scan COVID-19 COVID-19 FAQ