Differential diagnoses in COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective descriptive study

Since February 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rapidly spread across Southern Switzerland. The available literature on differential diagnoses of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is scarce. Our study aims to review differential diagnoses of SARS-CoV-2 infections in public hospitals in Southern Switzerland and describe patients' related outcomes. Between 01.03.2020 and 15.04.2020, 344 patients had a chest computed tomography-scan at admission, 210 of them were pathological. 172 patients had a positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2, and 38 patients needed an additional diagnostic work-up and were included in this study. Among the selected patients, 8 underwent 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2, while 18 patients were subjected to 3 PCR. We observed 29 infective cases, 3 due to cardiovascular etiologies, 2 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, 1 due to cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, 3 not related to respiratory diseases. Our results highlight the importance of differential diagnosis in times of widespread occurrence of COVID-19, considering the similarity of symptoms and imaging appearance with other respiratory conditions.

Automated summary

The study reviewed differential diagnoses of SARS-CoV-2 infections in public hospitals in Southern Switzerland and identified that other respiratory conditions, such as cardiovascular factors, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, can also present similar symptoms to COVID-19. It emphasized the importance of differential diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.