Korean researchers announced that chest CT scans and x-rays may identify COVID-19 infections that are undetected by RT-PCR, according to The Korea Herald.

Speaking at a conference organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies last week, radiologist Do Kyung-hyun of Asan Medical Center in Seoul said the chest radiographs of otherwise asymptomatic patients sometimes revealed signs of infiltration in their lungs.

“Such radiological abnormalities can lead to early detection of suspected pneumonia in patients,” she said.

Do said up to half of COVID-19 patients show normal CT scans in the first two days after the onset of flu-like symptoms. Image findings in early stage of the disease are marked by patterns known as “ground glass opacity” or a partial filling of air spaces in the lungs, she said.

“These radiological findings will play a vital role in diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia and assessing the prognosis,” she said.

Read more fromThe Korea Herald.

Featured image: Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md. Courtesy National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.