Every year, the ECR provides one of the largest international forums to showcase the latest innovations in radiology. Due to the current restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's congress will not be held as usual in Vienna, but rather in the virtual world. In preparation for this event, the articles in the following dossier provide valuable insights into topics such as digitalization, intelligent imaging methods, and the impact of COVID-19 on the future of radiology.
The impact of the pandemic
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In December 2019, a new form of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, infected humans in Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei. The respiratory disease named COVID-19 has become a pandemic that is now spreading very rapidly. Imaging procedures are crucial in the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to assessing suspected cases and the course of the disease. On the basis of the latest scientific evidence we consider the role of X-ray imaging in the current situation.
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COVID-19 clinical results
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A female patient (BMI 32.4), suffering from fever and a moderate dry cough for the past week, presented herself to the hospital. She was a non-smoker and had an unremarkable past medical history. The RT-PCR test for COVID-19 resulted positive and she was then referred for a chest CT examination.
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Innovative workflows
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In the future, the growing need for radiological specialists could lead to more frequent bottlenecks. Now, thanks to the introduction of software to support remote scanning, radiology technologists at Essen University Hospital can operate up to three scanners at the same time regardless of their location.
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Personalized treatment
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As a specialized clinic with a clear mandate for training and research, the University Hospital Erlangen is always seeking out the latest CT technology. Now, it has made the first step into a new era of computed tomography.
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