What to expect?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province, and has since spread globally, resulting in the ongoing 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

Radiological assessment of suspected COVID-19 cases is carried out either using chest X-rays or chest CT scans when a patient is first hospitalised. Even though it is not currently recommended as a first line diagnosing modality in the UK, accurate radiological identification of COVID -19 is necessary in order to determine patient treatment. The scarce and constrained availability of viral load detection tests and other hospital resources further impose a need for accurate chest imaging interpretation. Radiological imaging can provide an immediate determination of virus presence, whereas viral load tests can take hours.

Our web-based training platform, which utilises a database of COVID -19 cases accrued by the British Society of Thoracic Imaging, improves participants’ performance, building their confidence and image appraisal skills. Participants examine selected exemplar cases and report them using the reporting software in order to receive immediate feedback so enabling understanding of pertinent non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 radiological features.

This training resource is developed in collaboration with the British Society of Thoracic Imaging and the Royal College of Radiologists.