key: cord-0967592-p34fulb0
authors: Huang, Peikai; Liu, Tianzhu; Huang, Lesheng; Liu, Hailong; Lei, Ming; Xu, Wangdong; Hu, Xiaolu; Chen, Jun; Liu, Bo
title: Use of Chest CT in Combination with Negative RT-PCR Assay for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus but High Clinical Suspicion
date: 2020-02-12
journal: Radiology
DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2020200330
sha: 52a2796f80f30065dbb0598984fcce328e62732a
doc_id: 967592
cord_uid: p34fulb0

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nucleic acid assay was also negative at this time. Six days after admission, the third RT-PCR 2019-nCoV nucleic acid assay was finally found to be positive.

When specimen tests are negative, the possibility of a false-negative result should be considered in the context of a patient's recent exposures and the presence of clinical signs and symptoms consistent with 2019-nCoV infection (1, 2) . In this case, chest CT findings were typical of findings for 2019-nCoV pneumonia (3) coupled with recent exposure suggesting that 2019-nCoV infection was likely. A 36-year-old man presented to the hospital with a 2-day history of fever, sore throat, and fatigue 5 days after visiting Wuhan, China. His temperature on admission was 37.8°C (100.04°F). Pulmonary auscultation was normal. Laboratory studies showed a normal white blood cell count (4.6 × 10 9 /L) with a differential count of 53.1% neutrophils. The blood procalcitonin level was normal. Chest CT showed multiple peripheral ground-glass opacities in both lungs with more involvement of the left upper lobe, lingular segment ( Figure  a-c) . At admission, the real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of the sputum was negative for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) nucleic acid.

Repeat CT chest performed 3 days after admission showed transformation of ground-glass opacities to more consolidation (Figure d-f ) . A repeat RT-PCR 2019-nCoV Images in a 36-year-old man with a 2-day history of fever, sore throat, and fatigue 5 days after visiting Wuhan, China, and a negative sputum real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction assay for the 2019 novel coronavirus. 

A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China

Emerging Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Pneumonia