Ultrasound Imaging: A Silent Hero in COVID-19 and Lung Diagnostics

In the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has been engaged in a protracted battle against a deadly infectious disease. As of October 2020, the COVID-19 virus has struck over 37 million people globally and has taken over 1 million lives. Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, ultrasound imaging has played a major role in facilitating primary diagnosis and in managing the comorbidities of COVID-19 patients. As compared to other medical imaging tools, ultrasound is distinguished in its versatility, portability, and cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, ultrasound has been widely deployed as a point-of-care modality in emergency medicine and in critical care for diagnosing the respiratory health of COVID-19 patients. In addition to its use in COVID-19 diagnostics, ultrasound imaging has gained significant interest in recent years in other areas of lung diagnostics. Nowadays, lung ultrasound researchers are actively devising new algorithms, techniques, and hardware to enhance ultrasound's diagnostic value in lung clinics.