CT scan machines can be spreaders if protocols not followed

‘There should be different time slots for symptomatic and asymptomatic people and it’s ideal to have a dedicated machine for COVID-19 patients’

With High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) of the chest becoming a common investigation method for COVID-19 and for suspected cases to rule out lung involvement, doctors said diagnostic centres, CT scan rooms and machines are the latest spreaders. As many patients turn up for the investigation, there is not enough time for the staff to properly sanitise the machines and the packed room where the scan is conducted. In such a situation, many patients are catching the infection there and those who are already positive end up with an increased viral load, said doctors. C.N. Manjunath, nodal officer for labs and testing in the State’s COVID-19 task force, said: “There should be different time slots for symptomatic and asymptomatic people. It is ideal to have a dedicated machine for COVID-19 patients.” He added that only those who have breathing difficulty, saturation less than 94-93 or an abnormal X-ray need HRCT.