Evaluation of the value of chest CT severity score in assessment of COVID-19 severity and short-term prognosis

Background: Evaluations have shown that the severity of pulmonary involvement is very important in the mortality rate of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of chest CT severity score in assessment of COVID-19 severity and short-term prognosis. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 197 patients, including all patients admitted to Rasoul Akram Hospital, with positive polymerase chain reaction, to investigate the relationship between computed tomography (CT) severity score and mortality. The demographic data and CT scan findings (including the pattern, side, and distribution of involvement), co-morbidities, and lab data were collected. Finally, gathered data were analyzed by SPSS-26. Results: 119 (60.4%) patients were male, and 78 (39.6%) were female. The mean age was 58.58 ± 17.3 years. Totally, 61 patients died; of those, 41 (67.2%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), so there was a significant relation between death and ICU admission (P value = 0.000). Diabetes was the most common co-morbidity, followed by hypertension and IHD. There was no significant relation between co-morbidities and death (P value = 0.13). The most common patterns of CTs were interlobular septal thickening and ground glass opacities, and a higher CT severity score was in the second week from the onset of symptoms, which was associated with more mortality (P value < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed that a patient with a higher CT severity score of the second week had a higher risk of mortality. Also, association of the CT severity score, laboratory data, and symptoms could be applicable in predicting the patient’s condition.