For clearer picture, docs pick CT scan over RT-PCR For clearer picture, docs pick CT scan over RT-PCR BySridhar VivanSridhar Vivan / Updated: Apr 19, 2021, 06:00 IST Doctors recommend covid infection The Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ( RT-PCR) is popularly considered to be the ‘golden standard’ to detect covid cases. However, with a rise in false negatives, doctors across the city are now increasingly depending on CT scans of the thorax as it gives a clear picture of the viral infection. A city-based doctor said, “Whenever people visit me with a fever, I recommend they take an RT-PCR test. But, many refuse to take it due to the stigma attached. So I ask them to immediately go for a scan that can give the correct picture. There are ample examples (with RT-PCR) where the patient tests negative (at first). With an early CT scan report, we can identify the infection early and begin the treatment. We have seen instances of deaths due to late treatment as the symptoms would show up only at the last stage for a few.”