جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « coronavirus disease 2019 » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has imposed a high threat on the health of industrial workers as the most crucial source of the workforce in maintaining business and the community economy. The present study was conducted toevaluate the levels of psychological health and knowledge, attitude, and behavioral practice (KAP) relating to COVID‑19 and to investigatethe individual and occupational risk factors associated with them.

A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 603 randomly selected workers from Tehran industrial city, Iran. Data collected through an online self‑reporting questionnaire consisted of demographic variables, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS‑21), and items about KAP. Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U‑tests, and regression model analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with DASS‑21 and KAP scales.

In this study, a prevalence of moderate to extremely severe symptoms was 30.2% for depression, 35.7% for anxiety, and 15.6% for stress. 89.9%, 95.3%, and 66% of the workers had moderate knowledge, attitude, and good behavioral practice, respectively. Home appliance industry (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.84, P = 0.002), work experience over 16–20 years old (aOR = 0.38, P = 0.031), and having an associate’s degree (aOR = 0.82, P = 0.02) were positively associated with worker’s attitude, depression, and knowledge, respectively.

The findings indicated a considerable proportion of psychological health problems, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress among workers across industries. Occupational health services should provide interventions to improve knowledge, particularly in disease transmission, increase awareness, and emphasize appropriate preventive measures to reduce workplace chronic stressors and improve psychological health

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic caused the use of social networks in the field of information acquisition and transmission to increase, whereas the validity of the information available is questionable. Because people’s trust in these networks is important, this study aimed to utilize three data mining techniques to identify the hidden rules for detecting the user trust level of social networks in the context of COVID‑19.

An electronic questionnaire containing 27 questions was provided to users. Out of the 12 questions selected, the final question asked about the level of user trust in social networks and was considered the target class. Based on the range in value, question 12 was divided into five classes. The relevance of the remaining 11 questions was then assessed using three decision tree‑based data mining techniques.

The results showed that the random forest technique performed better than the other techniques. Most social network users have a moderate level of trust in information regarding COVID‑19; in fact, the medium class is the most widely used target class with 60% utilization rate, which affects sensitivity and specificity. The values of these measures were much higher for this class than for the other classes.

The educational content, both its type and the amount, regarding COVID‑19 that is provided on social networks, impact on user trust. As the existence of inconsistent information has had a negative impact on user trust, a small percentage of users have high trust in these networks.

Having a weakened immune system can make patients easily get nosocomial infection (NI) with multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and put them in a dangerous situation. It causes long hospital stays, disability, economic burden, and even death. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of NI in patients suffering from COVID-19.

In this retrospective study, the information on 250 patients suffering from COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU) (2020 to 2021) was considered. For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired samples t-test, and chi-square using SPSS-23 software were used (p<0.05).

Two hundred and fifty hospitalized (107 females and 143 males, mean ± standard deviation (SD) of age; 56.50 ± 17.20) patients were considered. The most (97.60%) medicine prescribed was remdesivir. Candida spp. (two females), Escherichia coli (two females), Acinetobacter spp. (one female), Citrobacter spp. (one female), Pseudomonas spp. (one male), Sphingomonas spp. (one male), Stenotrophomonas spp. (one male) and Enterobacter spp. (one male) were isolated from the patient’s specimens. Four of seven bacterial isolates were positive for MDR. NI was diagnosed in six patients. There was no significant relationship between the age with the isolated microbes (P=0.154) and MDR (P=0.987) and also between gender with common microbes (P=0.576) and MDR (P=0.143).

The coexistence of bacteria and NI was observed in patients. Remdesivir was prescribed for most patients. Most bacteria were resistant to antibiotics, especially, β-lactams.

Since December 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the world, including neurologic manifestations among its effects. Additionally, some studies have reported the reactivation of various viruses in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

This study aimed to investigate the viral infection patterns of common viruses that cause encephalitis in patients diagnosed with the concurrence of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and encephalitis.

This cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2020 to May 2021. Children diagnosed with both MIS-C and encephalitis were included. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from each participant for a biochemistry panel and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), adenovirus, and influenza virus. Furthermore, patients underwent neuroimaging studies, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography.

Thirteen patients with MIS-C and encephalitis were enrolled. Viral detection in CSF samples through PCR assays was successful in six patients. EBV and HSV were detected in four and two patients, respectively. The median age of these six children was 44 months, with four being male. Follow-up visits after six months showed that their quality of life had returned to normal.

This study highlighted the co-occurrence of HSV and EBV reactivation with MIS-C. Although viral reactivations, unlike primary infections, resolved spontaneously in our cohort. Consequently, the reactivation of viruses due to MIS-C may open new avenues for future research.

The disease process involves the occurrences happening during the disease and treatment course for the patient. Investigating this process is a significant and necessary issue for all diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Using the information of 4372 patients with COVID-19 referring to Dr. Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran during the COVID-19 epidemic, being hospitalized, cared for, and home quarantined due to having mild symptoms, the COVID-19 process and its related occurrences were investigated during the treatment course.

In the COVID-19 course, considering the disease severity, the likelihood of hospitalization in the general ward or the intensive care unit (ICU) ward, the likelihood of isolation or home quarantine, and the likelihood of occurrences such as recovery or death at the end of the disease course were taken into consideration. Based on the results of this study, the likelihood of hospitalization in the general ward, the ICU ward, and isolation or home quarantine was determined to be approximately 49.54%, 14.73%, and 35.73%, respectively. Also, for patients hospitalized in the general ward, the ICU ward, and isolated or home quarantined, the likelihood of recovery was estimated at approximately 64.79%, 10.82%, and 96.31%, respectively, and the likelihood of death was also estimated at about 35.21%, 89.18%, and 3.69% respectively.

Investigating the COVID-19 process and estimating the likelihood of incidence of its related occurrences during the treatment course both create an accurate prognosis and provide the possibility of achieving an efficient treatment for these patients.

 The critical coronavirus pandemic presents a global challenge with dimensions yet unknown, underscoring the essential need to comprehend the lived experiences, especially for vulnerable groups. This study delves into the childbirth experiences of mothers dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

 Employing hermeneutic phenomenology, this qualitative research was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Purposeful sampling involved 16 mothers with maximum variation. Unstructured telephone interviews collected data, analyzed using the Diekelman approach.

 Unveiling the theme “Novel Memories of Motherhood,” four central themes emerged: “The Missing Link in Quality Care,” “Coronavirus Stigma,” “A lonely mother in quarantine,” and “Cascade of Psychological Trauma.”

 COVID-19 acts as an intervening factor, distorting routine care and delivery programs. The focus for service providers attending to mothers in labor should extend beyond physical care, encompassing the elimination of coronavirus-related stigma and prioritizing psychological attention. This holistic approach is crucial for maintaining quality care standards.

In individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), male subjects have consistently beenlinked to poor severity and prognosis. Data on sex hormones in non-critical COVID-19-infected patients are scarce.The aim of this study was to assess the status of total testosterone (TT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)among noncritical patients with COVID-19 according to sex and their associations with clinical and biochemicalfeatures. This cross-sectional observational study was done in the COVID-19 unit of a Universityhospital during the period of September 2021 to February 2022 among 91 adults (18-65 years) with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction confirmed noncritical COVID-19 patients. Blood was drawn by venipuncturebefore receiving steroids between 07:00 to 09:00 a.m. in a fasting state to measure serum TT and DHEAS by chemiluminescentmicroparticle immunoassay. Diagnosis and classification of COVID-19 were done according to WorldHealth Organization’s interim guidance. Age- and sex-specific laboratory reference values were used to classify theTT and DHEAS status of the patients. Only three males (8.1%) had low TT and the rest had normal TT. On the other hand, 15 (27.8%) of the femaleshad high TT with normal levels in the rest. Similarly, 11 (29.7%) males had low DHEAS. Females had low, normal,and high DHEAS in four (7.4%), 48 (88.9%), and two (3.7%) cases respectively. Males with moderate severity ofCOVID-19 had significantly lower DHEAS (post hoc P=0.038) than the mild group. Both TT (P=0.008) and DHEAS(P=0.023) significantly correlated with neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio and only DHEAS with platelets/lymphocytesratio (P=0.044) in males. In females, TT significantly correlated with serum sodium (P=0.034). In noncritical COVID-19 patients, substantial gender variations in TT and DHEAS were detected andcorrelated with severity markers in males.

Context: 

The routine implemented by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on people’s lives has had several consequences. Children have also been involved in this crisis. Concerning pediatric oral health, dental workers also reduced working load and postponed treatments. Therefore, the present review aimed to assess related articles and discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric dentistry and pediatric oral health status.

Evidence Acquisition: 

Electronic search was performed using the following keywords: “Coronavirus, COVID-19, Dental Care for Children, Dental Health Services, Pandemics, and Pediatric Dentistry.”Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochran Library, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Google databases were searched from the beginning of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a preliminary search, 156 articles were retrieved, finally reduced to 13. Both reviewers carried out screening and selection of articles independently.

Based on the scientific articles (n = 13) included in our study, pediatric dentistry was severely impacted during the outbreak. Some factors included quarantine, reduced professional workload, fear of COVID-19 in families, the possibility of carrying the virus by children, accompanying children to the clinic by adults, and the impossibility of tolerance by the children to perform strict personal protective protocols and altered intake habits during the pandemic. Moreover, dental professionals can prevent the further spread of COVID-19 by adhering to guidelines, including conducting primary triage, keeping the office not overcrowded, regular disinfection, and distance education.

Policymakers must find a biosafety solution for vulnerable pediatric populations. Telecommunications and distance education are the solutions for promoting oral health during this period.

We aimed to review the literature to introduce some effective plant-derived antioxidants to prevent and treat COVID-19. Natural products from plants are excellent sources to be used for such discoveries. Among different plant-derived bioactive substances, components including luteolin, quercetin, glycyrrhizin, andrographolide, patchouli alcohol, baicalin, and baicalein were investigated for several viral infections as well as SARS-COV-2. The mechanisms of effects detected for these agents were related to their antiviral activity through inhibition of viral entry and/or suppuration of virus function. Also, the majority of components exert anti-inflammatory effects and reduce the cytokine storm induced by virus infection. The data from different studies confirmed that these agents may play a critical role against SARS-COVID-2 via direct (antiviral activity) and indirect (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) mechanisms, suggesting that natural products are a potential option for management of patients with COVID-19 due to the lower side effects and high efficiency.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerged disease with many unknown facets, so both the treatment and the cause of spreading this disease have remained mysterious so far.
Based on the information of 4372 patients with COVID-19 referring to Dr. Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, the time-dependent changes in COVID-19 severity were investigated in this study using correlation analysis.
According to the results of this study, on average 154.80 patients were infected with mild to moderate COVID-19, and 39.06 were infected with severe COVID-19. The results of this study also indicated a descending trend in the number of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 (r=-0.40, P-value=0.004) and an ascending trend in the number of patients with severe COVID-19 (r=0.43, P-value=0.003) overtime on a daily basis so that almost two patients were removed from those with mild to moderate COVID-19 and one was added to the patients with severe COVID-19 on average per day.
Based on the current study results, it is concluded that COVID-19 severity will not be constant over time, and there is a probability of COVID-19 becoming more aggressive. Therefore, by the lack of timely control of the disease over time, we will witness an increased number of patients with severe COVID-19 and an increased number of hospitalizations in the intensive care unit (ICU) ward.

A variety of vaccinations have been developed to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) 2 years after the coronavirus epidemic spread globally. During clinical studies, these vaccinations were linked to mild to severe side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term side effects of Covid-19 vaccination in pregnant women in Zabol (Iran).  

This cross-sectional study was conducted between August and October 2021 to collect data on the adverse side effects of Covid-19 vaccinations among 117 pregnant women in Zabol (Iran). A questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, vaccination information, and vaccine complications. SPSS software Version 22 was used to analyze the data at 2 levels descriptive and inferential statistics.  

A total of 117 pregnant women aged 27.67 ± 5.14 years were included. After the first and second doses of Covid-19 vaccinations, 91 (86.7%) and 84 (71.8%) pregnant women, respectively, suffered adverse effects. Moreover, after the first dose, 55(51.4%) and 60 (56.1%) of pregnant women reported fatigue and headache, and after the second dose, 39 (33.3%) and 37 (31.6%) reported fatigue and headache, respectively.  

The side effects reported in our study after receiving Covid-19 vaccinations in pregnant women were similar to those described in clinical studies of vaccines and were mild to moderate, showing that injectable vaccines had safe profiles. More research is needed, however, to assess the long-term side effects of existing vaccines.

Determining the risk of severe course coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its related factors in survivors of common cancers such as breast cancer is important. This study has been designed to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in breast cancer survivors and also estimate the risk of severe disease in this population.

Out of 6134 patients in the Shiraz Breast Cancer Registry (SBCR), A total of 292 patients who elapsed less than a year from their breast cancer diagnosis were excluded. We called 5842 patients. Finally, 4135 breast cancer survivors who agreed to cooperate were screened for COVID-19 symptoms by a symptom-based questionnaire in November 2020. COVID-19 in symptomatic participants was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The clinical and paraclinical data of the COVID-19 course were collected for patients with a positive PCR test.

A total of 247 (5.9%) participants had at least reported one of the COVID-19 symptoms. Also, 17% of symptomatic participants had a positive PCR test; 83.7% had mild disease, 9.5% moderate, and 16.7% had severe conditions. Chronic cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes were related to an increased risk of severe illness (P = 0.018, P = 0.018, P = 0.002).

This study suggests that breast cancer intermediate and longtime survivors without other underlying diseases are considered at low risk for developing severe/critical COVID-19.

In late 2019, a new virus spread in China that led to an acute respiratory disease by lung involvement. The virus spread over time and affected many countries, including Iran. Hospital staff are also at high risk of being infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The present study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of IgG class antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers and to compare the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ward staff with other hospital wards.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical staff at Gerash University of Medical Sciences. After sampling the participants in this study, the production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was evaluated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Demographic and other necessary information about patients were also recorded.

Out of 323 staff participating in this study, 130 (40.24%) were in inpatient wards [of which 26 (20%) were in the COVID-19 ward], 55 (17.02%) were in paraclinical wards, and 138 (42.72%) were in administrative wards. A total of 44 (13.6%) patients had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of antibodies between the three groups, but a significantly higher prevalence of antibodies was observed in the COVID-19 ward subgroup with 6 (23%) positive antibody tests, compared to other wards (P-value = 0.023).

Due to the higher prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in staff working in the COVID-19 ward than in other wards, more attention should be paid to health protocols and also emphasis on completing vaccination and monitoring the safety level of staff working in the COVID-19 ward.

Context: 

Several studies have shown that chloroquine can effectively diminish the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As such, other studies have also supported this statement, but the psychiatric side effects of chloroquine have not been taken into account.

The current study aimed to briefly review and discuss the safety of chloroquine. Evidence Acquisition: A narrative literature search on databases was carried out on studies without time limitations. A combination of the two main keywords of “Chloroquine” and “Psychiatric Side Effects” was used to search databases. A manual search was performed to find the relevant articles, and finally, 15 studies were reviewed. Data were shown in the table and then summarized by narrative synthesis.

The literature review revealed the pharmaceutical characteristics of chloroquine, the safety of chloroquine, and the management of chloroquine’s side effects. Also, the studies showed that chloroquine had psychiatric symptoms varying from insomnia to catatonia, toxic psychosis, and suicidal attempts, as well as behavioral manifestations, including most frequently extreme irritability, restlessness, abusiveness, distractibility, pressured speech, flight of ideas, grandiosity delusion, and auditory and visual hallucinations.

Given the probability of a wide range of possible psychiatric symptoms following chloroquine, physicians should cautiously prescribe antiviral agents, and healthcare workers should also notice any psychiatric symptoms after administrating the chloroquine.

Considering the inconsistent results regarding the association between the severity and duration of olfactory dysfunction (OD), and the viral load in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, we aimed to conduct this study. This is a prospective cohort study in which COVID-19 patients were evaluated for the initial cycle threshold value (Ct values) measured by the nasopharyngeal samples along with olfactory function measured by the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) within 2 months of COVID-19 onset.Among 309 COVID-19 patients who were included in this study, 108 (34.9%), 112 (36.2%) and 89 (28.8%) were normosmic, hyposmic, and anosmic, respectively based on the UPSIT. The severity of COVID-19 and the rate of hospitalization were higher in anosmic patients (p<0.0001, and p<0.0001, respectively). Moreover, significant associations between the initial Ct value and the severity of OD at admission and follow-ups were detected (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). Anosmic patients had higher Ct values in comparison with hyposmic (approx. 3-fold) and normosmic (approx. 12-fold) patients. The recovery rate after one- and two-month follow-ups was 47% and 84%, respectively. At the follow-ups, OD-recovered patients significantly had lower Ct values (mean Ct value: 27.79 ± 2 and 28.21 ± 2.08) in comparison with those who have not recovered yet (mean Ct value: 30.19 ± 3.36, and 33.6 ± 3.37) (p<0.0001, and p<0.0001, respectively).Ct value seems to be a significant factor not only in predicting OD severity in COVID-19 patients but also in the OD recovery duration. This finding may be helpful to investigate the underlying mechanisms of OD in COVID-19 patients.

Self-medication is a significant public health problem that negatively affects human health. Many Moroccans have turned to this practice as a form of prevention or treatment for the newly emerged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide.

This study is the first research conducted in Morocco in the context of this pandemic, aiming to explore the prevalence, sources of information, causes, and risk factors of self-medication during the pandemic period.

A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in the city of Meknes (North Central of Morocco) from March 2022 to June 2022 to investigate the level of self-medication practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey included 400 respondents from the general population (mean age = 34.97 ± 15.8 years). The self-medication rate was obtained as 291 (72.75%). There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of respondents practicing self-medication during COVID-19comparedto the pre-pandemic period. Most medications used for self-medication to prevent or treat COVID-19 were supplements such as vitamin C (81.10%) and zinc (74.91%), followed by acetaminophen (72.51%) and herbal products (69.41%). In the bivariate logistic regression model, age, gender, education level, self-reported health, sector of activity, and medical insurance were analyzed. Multivariate analyses showed that the youngest age group ( 30 years) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96 - 2.78), university education (OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 0.87 - 2.99), and better self-reported health (OR = 2.83; 95% CI: 1.43 - 3.71) were independently associated with self-medication.

Self-medication was a serious health concern in Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will be of great interest to the authorities in order to develop new pandemic management strategies, particularly self-medication awareness programs.

The objective of this study was to determine the role of Iranian herbal Zofa® syrup in improving the clinical symptoms of patients with COVID-19. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 105 patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=35) group (received 10 ml of Zofa® syrup every 8 hours/seven days plus standard treatment) or the control (n=70) group (received only standard treatment). Assessments were performed before and after treatment. The groups were comparable regarding age (p=0.980), gender (p=0.584), comorbidities (p=0.318), or drug history (p=0.771). There was no difference between patients' recovery status at the time of discharge (p=0.327) or two weeks post-discharge (p=0.165) in the intervention and control groups. No patient was hospitalized to the intensive care unit (ICU) for supplemental oxygen therapy and no patient died in the intervention group. However, in the control group, three (4.5%) patients were transferred to the ICU, and two (3.03%) patients died. Considering the better recovery status of the patients at the time of discharge and the absence of patient deaths in the intervention group, more additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and elucidate the role of Zofa® in COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the psychological problems of people all over the world. In this crisis, nurses experienced complex physical and psychological stress.

This study aimed to determine the relationship of perceived stress with moral distress and the spiritual intelligence of clinical nurses in the context of COVID-19.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 285 clinical nurses working in public hospitals in the city of Shahroud, Iran. Data collection instruments included a demographic data sheet, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Corley’s Moral Distress Scale (MDS), and King’s Spiritual Intelligence Scale (SISRI-24). Descriptive (frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (the independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analysis) were used to analyze the data.

The findings showed that nurses reported high levels of perceived stress (36.12 ± 5.14). Perceived stress was positively and significantly correlated with moral distress (P = 0.001, r = 0.09). Perceived stress was also significantly correlated with age (P < 0.01, r = 0.29) and work experience (P = 0.001, r = -0.85).

According to the findings, nurses must strive to reduce moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, psychosocial support for clinical nurses, stress management courses, and providing welfare facilities for nurses are essential.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has led to an alteration in hygienic conditions. In this situation, improving standard operating procedures (SOPs) in blood donation centers is critical. The purpose of this study was the assessment of SOPs in the blood donation centers during the outbreak of COVID-19 by regular blood donors as external audits.

Regular donors were selected as external inspectors in 31 provinces of Iran. The questionnaire containing 10 closed questions was provided to assess the hygienic SOPs of blood transfusion centers in the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. Comparison and evaluation of questionnaires were conducted by assigning an importance coefficient (IC)  score to each question.

Assessment of SOPs in blood donation departments by regular donors in 31 provinces of Iran showed that 18 centers (58.1%) received IC scores >10(Strong performance), 7 centers (22.6%) received the range of IC scores between7-10(acceptable performance), and 6 centers (19.4%) received IC scores <7(poor performance). The difference in IC scores between provinces was not statistically significant.

This study confirms that the assessment of blood donation centers through regular blood donor inspection is a reliable method to identify the strengths and weaknesses of blood transfusion center services and ultimately leads to corrective intervention and improvement of hygienic SOPs to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

A significant discrepancy between the results of previous studies is identified regarding the diagnostic efficacy of chest computed tomography (CT) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19). We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of chest CT for COVID‑19.

Suspected cases of COVID‑19 with fever, cough, dyspnea, and evidence of pneumonia on chest CT scan were enrolled in the study. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of chest CT were determined according to real‑time reverse transcriptase‑polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR) results as the gold standard method.

The study population comprised 356 suspected cases of COVID‑19 (174 men and 182 women; age range 3–96 years; mean age ± standard deviation, 55.21 ± 18.38 years). COVID‑19 patients were diagnosed using chest CT with 89.8% sensitivity, 78.1% accuracy, 21.3% specificity, 84.7% positive predictive value, and 30.23% negative predictive value. The odds ratio was 2.39 (95% confidence interval, 1.16–4.91). Typical CT manifestations of COVID‑19 were observed in 48 (13.5%) patients with negative RT‑PCR results and 30 (8.4%) patients with confirmed positive RT‑PCR results had no radiological manifestations. Kappa coefficient of chest CT for diagnosis of COVID‑19 was 0.78.

The results show that when RT‑PCR results are negative, chest CT could be considered as a complementary diagnostic method for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 patients. A more comprehensive diagnostic method could be established by combining the chest CT examination, clinical symptoms, and RT‑PCR assay.