The requirement for CT scans of chest or other tests has come down in the current COVID-19 surge as respiratory distress is experienced by only a few patients. The scanning at private health facilities costs ₹ 3,500- ₹6,000. The demand for D-Dimer, C-Reactive Protein, and other tests too is low. Senior consultant physician Dr K Shivaraju said that the need for scanning is less as majority of the people with COVID-19 do not have respiratory distress as lungs are not involved.
Pulmonologist Dr M Rajeev Naik said that the CT-scan of chest was prescribed when a COVID patient had respiratory distress along with oxygen saturation levels below 90. “The CT scan is needed to know if COVID infection is in lungs, and if the organ is damaged which leads to respiratory distress and cough. Now, it is prescribed to only a few patients with co-morbidities this time. Majority of the people are not experiencing respiratory distress,” said Dr Rajeev. Besides, the test was used when the COVID tests were inconclusive. If a person tested negative in Rapid Antigen Test and RT-PCR, but has symptoms, the scanning is performed to know if the infection is in lungs. Dr Rajeev said that this also helps to know the treatment protocol. “Currently, the infection is limited to upper respiratory tract in most of the cases. CT scan should not be performed when not required as people would be exposed unnecessary radiation,” said Dr Shivaraju.