Differential Diagnosis of COVID-19

Differential diagnosis is a key step to treat and prevent any disease at current. Differential identification becomes more inevitable in diseases that become pandemic while their signs and symptoms overlap with many diseases. Coronavirus disease-19 shows resemblance in its pneumonic presentation with related coronaviruses (SARS virus, and MERS virus), adenovirus, influenza virus, human Metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, rhinovirus, bacterial pneumonia (Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza pneumonia, Moraxella catarrhalis pneumonia, and Chlamydia pneumonia), and Mycoplasma pneumonia. Contrary to the discussion of only diagnostic findings, a comprehensive approach of differences in aetiologies, transmission/epidemiology, pathogeneses, clinical signs, and response therapy is necessary to resolve pandemic corona infection. Additionally, mathematical predictive models calculate the reproductive number (R0) to show the epidemic nature of the disease in comparison to other conditions, thus aids therapeutic and prevention measures. The current chapter differentiates minor and major differences of COVID-19 compared to viral and bacterial diseases that show similar signs and symptoms.

Keywords: Aetiologies, Clinical signs, Coronavirus disease-19, Diagnosis, Differential, Pathogenesis, Response therapy, Transmission/epidemiology.