Coronavirus Or Influenza, Which Produced Pneumonia?

A new study reported using CT scans to distinguish the source of viral pneumonia infection between COVID-19 disease from an influenza virus is very complicated with imaging alone. 

This study published on July 9, 2020, found 'most lesions in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were located in the peripheral zone and close to the pleura. 

Whereas, the influenza infections generated pneumonia cases were more prone to show mucoid impaction and pleural effusion.’

However, those signs should be noted when assessing patients with pneumonia to determine whether the cause is COVID-19 or influenza. 

CT manifestations of COVID-19 pneumonia and influenza virus pneumonia have a large amount of overlap, such that even with the characteristics evaluated using AI software, no significant differences were detected.

Specifically, this study found that the axial distribution of COVID-19 pneumonia was most often in the peripheral zone (67.3%), and the most important characteristic was that the largest lesion was close to the pleura (69.2%).

Lesions from influenza virus pneumonia had more diffuse (35.6%) or random (33.3%) distribution and the largest lesion was close to the pleura (40%) less often than was seen in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Although there were no significant differences, the CT score, length of the largest lesions, mean density, volume, and mass for influenza virus pneumonia lesions were slightly higher than for lesions from COVID-19 pneumonia, which suggests that influenza virus pneumonia is more serious in the early stages of the disease.

Therefore, a CT examination of pneumonia needs to be combined with clinical indicators for comprehensive evaluation.

And, the more important role of CT in the COVID-19 disease pandemic is in finding lesions and evaluating the effects of treatment, concluded these researchers.

Precision Vaccinations publishes coronavirus outbreak news.