Abstract
Purpose: To reveal that a computed tomography surveillance program (CT-surveillance) could demonstrate the epidemiologic features of COVID-19 infection and simultaneously investigate the type and frequency of CT findings using clinical CT data.
Materials and methods: We targeted individuals with possible CT findings of viral pneumonia. Using an online questionnaire, we asked Japanese board-certified radiologists to register their patients’ information including patient age and sex, the CT examination date, the results of PCR test for COVID-19 infection, CT findings, and the postal code of the medical institution that performed the CT. We compared the diurnal patient number and the cumulative regional distribution map of registrations in CT-surveillance to those of the PCR-positive patient surveillance (PCR-surveillance).
Results: A total of 637 patients was registered from January 1 to April 17, 2020 for CT-surveillance. Their PCR test results were positive (n = 62.5-398%), negative (n = 8.9-57%), unknown (n = 26.2-167%), and other disease (n = 2.4-15%). An age peak at 60-69 years and male dominance were observed in CT-surveillance. The most common CT finding was bilaterally distributed ground-glass opacities. The diurnal number and the cumulative regional distribution map by CT-surveillance showed tendencies that were similar to those revealed by PCR-surveillance.
Conclusion: Using clinical CT data, CT-surveillance program delineated the epidemiologic features of COVID-19 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; Pneumonia; Public health practice; Surveys and questionnaires; Tomography; Viral; X-ray computed.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Pneumonia, tomography, Viral, X-ray computed, surveys and questionnaires, public health practice,