What is the difference between clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases? What is the significance of clinically diagnosed cases?

As we all know, the reason why the number of new cases in Hubei exceeded 10,000 yesterday was because of the addition of clinically diagnosed cases. So, what is the difference between clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases? What does clinically diagnosed cases mean? In fact, if you want to completely isolate the new coronavirus pneumonia, you must isolate all suspected people. If the doctor thinks you are suspected, you will be isolated first without nucleic acid testing. This is the difference between clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases.

What are the differences between clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases?

To put it simply:

Suspected = contact history + clinical symptoms;

Clinical diagnosis = suspected + typical changes in imaging (mainly CT);

Confirmed diagnosis = clinical diagnosis + nucleic acid test;

Previously, new cases = confirmed cases,

Now new cases = confirmed cases + clinical diagnosis.

Clinically diagnosed cases are the fifth edition of the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia, a new diagnostic standard implemented only in Hubei Province. That is, if the imaging features meet the requirements, they can be classified as clinically diagnosed cases without nucleic acid testing.

Clinically diagnosed cases are not confirmed cases, so there is a possibility of misdiagnosis, but it is almost certain. The reason for formulating such standards is related to the lack of testing reagents and testing personnel in Hubei. After adding clinical diagnosis standards, hospitals equipped with CT can make diagnoses, and there is no need to send them to designated hospitals or CDCs for testing, which is faster.

What is the significance of clinical diagnosis cases?

"Clinically diagnosed cases" are those that have not been confirmed by the laboratory, and have not been tested positive for nucleic acid, but only have clinical symptoms that "look like it". Hubei Province includes the number of clinically diagnosed cases in the number of confirmed cases and publishes them. By including these people in the number of new cases, they can be isolated and hospitalized, which is beneficial to both society and the patients themselves.

How to identify suspected cases

First, if the patient is in Hubei or Wuhan, then there must be an epidemiological history;

The second is fever, respiratory cough, and breathlessness, which are clinical symptoms;

The third is clinical signs and physical examinations; the fourth is CT images. For example, for common pneumococcal pneumonia, the positive rate and culture rate are only 20 to 30 percent, and most of the clinical cases are diagnosed by clinicians.

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Including clinically diagnosed cases in the confirmed cases will make the data gradually closer to the real situation, even though the number of cases will increase significantly today.

We also hope that all patients who are self-isolating at home can complete their treatment as soon as possible and completely cut off the chain of family transmission.