ACR: CT should not be used as first-line diagnostic tool for COVID-19

Editor's Note

The American College of Radiology (ACR) on March 11 issued a recommendation that CT scans not be used as a first-line screening test to diagnose COVID-19, the March 11 AuntMinnie.com reports.

Though early reports from China indicated that CT could detect COVID-19, even when DNA tests were negative, new reports show that chest imaging findings are not specific and often overlap with other infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

ACR also noted that the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention does not recommend Chest x-ray or CT to diagnose COVID-19.