Do COVID-19 NAT positive and negative people perform the same?

Are there any differences in manifestation between people with COVID-19 positive or negative NAT results? If there are differences, is it helpful to find positive patients in time?

PRESENTATION

A recent study[1] compared the clinical manifestations of patients with positive and negative NAT results, and found no significant difference in symptoms between them, namely, fever, chills, shiver, cough, fatigue, chest tightness, myalgia, poor appetite, headache, pharyngalgia, dyspnea, palpitations, chest pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

However, experts also found that positive patients were more likely to appear dyspnea.

Laboratory examinations

  • Blood tests: They both showed decreased lymphocyte counts, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, increased C-reactive protein, normal white blood cell counts, and increased lactate dehydrogenase.
  • Imaging: Multiple ground-glass opacities, patchy shadows, and consolidation shadows were seen in all chest CT scans, most of which were located in the outer zone of lung fields. Bilateral involvement was predominant and unilateral involvement was rare.
  • Oxygenation index: If the oxygenation index decreases, it indicates that the patient's condition may be aggravated.

Therefore, there is no significant difference in clinical manifestations, blood tests and imaging between the positive and negative patients, and the final diagnosis depends on the NAT results.

Last Updated On 2021-09-17

References 1