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Should We Rely on Screening Tests for Further Management Alone in Polymerase Chain Reaction Negative COVID-19
Phool Iqbal1, Fateen Ata2, Samman Rose2
1Internal Medicine, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, QAT.
Insights
Diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents challenges due to variable test accuracy. This case series highlights the diagnostic dilemmas faced by clinicians in managing patients with COVID-19.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has strained global healthcare systems and necessitated a deep understanding of the disease.
- Diagnostic challenges persist despite the development of various testing methods.
- Variable sensitivity and specificity of current tests complicate patient management.
Abstract:
Since the declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), it has been a challenge to the whole medical community. Researchers and clinicians have been trying to explain and explore its mechanism and pathophysiology to get a better understanding of this disease, as it has exhausted the healthcare resources and has impacted human life in general. Many tests have been developed including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the virus and rapid diagnostic testing in patients based on IgM/IgG serology. But owing to variable sensitivity and specificity of these tests, it has created a challenging situation to proceed with the further management plan. We are reporting a case series where we experienced the dilemma of diagnosing COVID-9 disease in our patients and further plan of care.
