Д¬omplexity of differential diagnosis is high, especially in populations not drastically affected by COVID-19, and will be higher after the peak of pandemic, when there are few cases. Since COVID-19 outbreak, the scientific community has focused on clinical and radiological features of COVID-19 pneumonia, while few papers have analysed the vast spectrum of COVID-19 pneumonia differential diagnoses. Since December 2019, when a novel coronavirus has been identified in Wuhan and then termed COVID-19, the viral pneumonia has been spreading around the globe, and on March 11, 2020, the WHO defined COVID-19 pneumonia as pandemic. The radiologist has a pivotal role in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia because he may raise suspicion of the pathology and help to avoid COVID-19 virus spread. ConclusionsД¬linical data, laboratory tests and imaging are pillars of a trident, which allows to reach a correct diagnosis in order to grant an excellent allocation of human and economical resources. The aim of our pictorial essay is to schematically present COVID-19 pneumonia most frequent differential diagnoses to help the radiologist face the current COVID-19 pneumonia challenge. Differential diagnosis is and will be extremely important during and after the pandemic peak, when there are fewer COVID-19 pneumonia cases. Main bodyД¬omplexity of differential diagnosis lays in the evidence of similar radiological findings as ground-glass opacities, crazy paving pattern and consolidations in COVID-19 pneumonia and a multitude of other lung diseases. Few papers analysing the vast spectrum of differential diagnoses have been published. The scientific community has focused attention and resources on clinical and radiological features of COVID-19 pneumonia.

COVID-19 pneumonia represents the most severe pandemic of the twenty-first century and has crucial clinical, social and economical implications.

Covid phenomena treatment