GS PAPER III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Context: Several Covid positive patients with mild to moderate Covid symptoms, and some with negative RT-PCR reports but Covid symptoms are coming for CT scans. Demand for Covid CT scans has increased manifolds in past one month.

Who needs a CT scan?

• Doctors said that Covid patients with worsening condition in home isolation or in hospital with critical condition are cases recommended for CT scan.
• If a patient’s oxygen level is going down below 95 during home quarantine or his health is not improving even after a week after coming Covid positive then such patients should get their CT scan done to detect the infection level.
• If Covid patient is in home isolation are doing well then they should only monitor their oxygen level 5-6 times in a day through a pulse oximeter and if oxygen level is above 96 than he should not panic.

Should CT scan be avoided for Covid detection if RT-PCR is negative?

• CT scan is a combination of multiple X-rays and a computer process to create a picture of the body or any part of the body and it shows much more details about the body than the regular X-ray.
• Even if a patient is showing mild or moderate symptoms and his report is false negative they should act wisely and go in home quarantine and must keep a tab on the oxygen level and there is no need to expose the body to such radiations of CT scan unnecessarily.
• Patients with RT-PCR false negative report going for CT scan can become source of infection for several who come for CT scan for other ailments at such centres.

What Is a CT Scan?

• A computerized tomography scan (CT or CAT scan) uses computers and rotating X-ray machines to create cross-sectional images of the body.
• These images provide more detailed information than normal X-ray images.
• They can show the soft tissues, blood vessels, and bones in various parts of the body.
• A CT scan may be used to visualize the:
• head
• shoulders
• spine
• heart
• abdomen
• knee
• chest

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-should-people-with-covid-symptoms-go-for-ct-scan-7299781/

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