key: cord-0949935-j5re3xew
authors: Bandirali, Michele; Sconfienza, Luca Maria; Serra, Roberta; Brembilla, Roberto; Albano, Domenico; Pregliasco, Fabrizio Ernesto; Messina, Carmelo
title: Chest Radiograph Findings in Asymptomatic and Minimally Symptomatic Quarantined Patients in Codogno, Italy during COVID-19 Pandemic
date: 2020-03-27
journal: Radiology
DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2020201102
sha: 5f92bf9a405633453475651748edd676c7a5ff3c
doc_id: 949935
cord_uid: j5re3xew

nan

I n p r e s s symptoms such as temperature < 99.5°F (37.5°C) and malaise. None of the patients had high clinical suspicion for COVID-19 but many patients were worried about community spread. In addition, all patients came from a very contagious cluster at high risk of virus transmission.

In one week, we found 100 of 170 (59%) chest x-rays (mean patient age 57 ±16 years) had abnormalities highly suspicious for COVID-19 pneumonia (3) . Involvement was bilateral in all cases: in 54% of patients the involvement was symmetrical, while chest x-ray abnormalities were greater on one side of the chest in 46%. RT-PCR swabs were not performed for confirmation. The prevalence of abnormal chest x-rays was similar to that reported by Inui et al. who reported CT findings in patients with COVID-19 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship (i.e., 54% of asymptomatic passengers had chest CT abnormalities) (4).

Our findings support data that is emerging about asymptomatic carrier COVID-19 transmission: asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients may have positive chest x-rays after 14 days of quarantine, even with no RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 (sensitivity reported to be 59%, Ai et al. (5) ). Chest x-rays may represent a low-cost and widely available tool in detecting lung involvement in patients with possible COVID-19 pneumonia. However, the specificity of chest x-ray findings for COVID-19 pneumonia is not established. I n p r e s s

Time Course of Lung Changes On Chest CT During Recovery From 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pneumonia

Critical Care Utilization for the COVID-19 Outbreak in

Imaging Profile of the COVID-19 Infection: Radiologic Findings and Literature Review

Chest CT Findings in Cases from the Cruise Ship "Diamond Princess" with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Radiol Cardiothorac Imaging

Correlation of Chest CT and RT-PCR Testing in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China: A Report of 1014 Cases