What We Can Learn About Coronavirus from Images of SARS and MERS?

A  paperrecently published in theAmerican Journal of Roentgenologyhas found that scans of patients with COVID-19 share many similarities with imaging studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the  pandemichas so far (as of the date of this article) resulted in over 191,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths. Although most of those infected only have cold-like symptoms, about 16 percent are serious cases where patients suffer from pneumonia and breathing difficulties. Coronavirusesare responsible for both the 2003 SARS pandemic in Guangdong Province, China and MERS, which was first diagnosed in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Both viruses cause rapid-developing pneumonia and have many similar imaging features. The study authors note that radiographs of MERS and SARS patients are abnormal for around 80 percent of patients. They also found that for both viruses, peripheral multifocal airspace opacities on radiography and CT were commonly noted. Yet, there are a number of differences between the two viruses: SARS typically demonstrates unilateral disease with peripheral distribution, whereas MERS showed bilateral confluent diffuse airspace opacities, akin to symptoms of acute respiratory syndrome. When it comes to COVID-19, radiology researchers are seeing overlapping signs with previous coronaviruses. These similarities include patchy or diffuse asymmetric airspace opacities, and ab...
Source: radRounds - Category: Radiology Authors: Source Type: blogs