Evidence of early Covid-19 cases on CT chest scans
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is there evidence of Covid-19 pneumonitis-like appearances on CT chest scans prior to March 2020 at Ealing Hospital?
IRAS ID
285879
Contact name
Stuart D Rosen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London North West University Healthcare Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
We hypothesize that patients with severe respiratory illness, signs of viral pneumonia on CT chest scans and negative respiratory virus tests for influenza, adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), were early presentations of COVID-19 respiratory illness prior to the first identified case on the 31st January 2020 in York, United Kingdom.
Computer tomography (CT) chest imaging has been shown to be a reliable diagnostic tool in prospective and retrospective studies, with a sensitivity of 97% in COVID-19 positive patients.(Caruso D, 2020) In comparison RT-PCR tests had a sensitivity of 75%.(Fang Y, 2020)
We seek to review CT chest scans from 1st December 2019 to 3rd March 2020 with reports of ground glass changes, pneumonia, air trapping and consolidation for signs of viral pneumonia consistent with COVID-19 lung changes.
In addition to the blinded review of the CT scans, the patients would be interviewed to describe the course of their index illness and be invited for COVID-19 antibody testing.REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/HRA/3267
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion