The relationship between positivity for COVID-19 RT-PCR and symptoms, clinical findings, and mortality in Turkey

: This study aimed to assess the correlation between nucleic acid amplification test (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) positivity of patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19-specific pneumonia diagnosis on thora...

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Published in:Expert review of molecular diagnostics Vol. 21; no. 2; p. 245
Main Authors: Ozcan, Erkan, Yavuzer, Serap, Borku Uysal, Betul, Islamoglu, Mehmet Sami, Ikitimur, Hande, Unal, Omer Faruk, Akpinar, Yunus Emre, Seyhan, Serhat, Koc, Suna, Yavuzer, Hakan, Cengiz, Mahir
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England 01-02-2021
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Summary:: This study aimed to assess the correlation between nucleic acid amplification test (real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) positivity of patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19-specific pneumonia diagnosis on thoracic computed tomography (CT), with symptoms, laboratory findings, and clinical progression. : The study included 286 patients (female:male 131:155; mean age, 53.3 ± 17.9 years) who were divided into two groups according to their RT-PCR test results. The symptoms, laboratory examinations, clinical findings, and thoracic CT imaging of the patients were evaluated. : While the physical examination, comorbidities, and total CT scores were similar between the groups, taste/smell abnormalities were observed more frequently in the PCR-positive group. The use of moxifloxacin, lopinavir/ritonavir, and tocilizumab was higher in the PCR-positive group (p = 0.016, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). The duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate of the studied groups did not differ between the groups. : Among patients presenting with suspected COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltration consistent with COVID-19 on thoracic CT, the symptoms, physical examination, total CT scores, duration of hospitalization, intensive care requirement, and mortality rate were similar between RT-PCR-positive and RT-PCR-negative patients. However, PCR-positive patients appeared to require more specific treatments.
ISSN:1744-8352
DOI:10.1080/14737159.2021.1882305