TIRUCHY: With CT scans proving to be effective in detecting Covid-19 and the extent of the disease, there is a huge spike in demand of people queuing up for tests.
Radiologists claim there is a three to four fold rise in the number of CT scan requests, both in public and private labs.
There are about 15 CT scan centres in Tiruchy and most of them reported increase in footfall off late.
Scans are accurate than RT-PCR tests and are more accessible and gives faster results.
At the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH), there is an equal number of people waiting to undergo a chest CT scan similar to those lining up for swab tests.
Radiologists said they performed 3,800 CT scans in September, of which 3,500 were chest scans.
Of these, more than 40 per cent showed signs of Covid pneumonia. To cater to the rising demand, MGMGH set aside one machine exclusively for Covid patients.
“If a patient tests positive in RT PCR, the CT helps in assessing extent of damage and deciding the treatment which would help in reducing mortality rate,” said a senior radiologist.
Doctors, however, advise that CT scan should be performed only after the fifth day of onset of symptoms.
“CT won’t reveal anything if taken early. It must taken after day 5-6 of onset of symptoms,” said Dr GM Siddique, radiologist & MD, Pixel Scans.