A n acute lower respiratory tract infection caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus was first reported in China in December 2019 (1,2). The clinical spectrum of disease with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is variable and ranges from an asymptomatic infection or mild upper respiratory tract illness to severe viral pneumonia with respiratory failure and occasionally death (2). Although the case fatality ratio has been as high as 15%, the incidence of critical illness has been reported to be 7%-26% (3). Patient factors that have been associated with a higher incidence of critical illness and death include male sex, age older than 60 years, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiopulmonary comorbidities, and higher d-dimer and interleukin 6 values (3).At the time of writing this article, more than 8 million cases and 450 000 deaths worldwide have been reported. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented health care crisis with immense strain on health care resources and disruptions in both routine and emergency health care delivery (4). The lack of adequate diagnostic testing has resulted in suboptimal early detection and containment of this infection, which has contributed to rapid and widespread transmission by individuals with mild or no symptoms (5). The primary diagnostic test, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for COVID-19, has variable sensitivity ranging from 37% to 71% (5), depending on the rate of viral expression at the time of collection and the site of specimen collection (6). Obstacles to the use of RT-PCR testing include shortage of kits and extended processing period.Chest CT in COVID-19 pneumonia demonstrates bilateral, peripheral, and basal predominant ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and/or consolidation in nearly 85% of patients with superimposed irregular lines and interfaces; the imaging findings peak 9-13 days after infection (7,8) (Fig 1). Subsequently, a mixed pattern evolves with crazy paving, architectural distortion, and perilobular abnormalities superimposed on GGOs with slow resolution (7) (Fig 1). Importantly, CT scans may be normal in an infected patient, particularly early in the disease (8). Atypical chest CT findings include upper lobe or peribronchovascular distribution of GGOs, cavitation, tree in bud nodules, lymphadenopathy, and pleural thickening (9). Tables 1 and 2 summarize common and uncommon CT findings of COVID-19 (10-21). It is vitally important to remember

The publication of this Accepted Manuscript is provided to give early visibility to the contents of the article, which will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting, and review before it is published in its final form. During the production process, errors may be discovered that could affect the content of the Accepted Manuscript. All legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. The reader is cautioned to consult the definitive version of record before relying on the contents of this document.

No abstract