Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective:</jats:title><jats:p> The low sensitivity of the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test on the nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV2 virus could cause infections among health care professionals and could be a source of viral spread. The aim of this study was to verify whether lung ultrasonography (LUS) had a negative predictive value (NPV) high enough to rule out coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a cohort of health care employees, working in emergency departments (EDs). </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Materials and Methods:</jats:title><jats:p> A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in two EDs in Northeast Italy. An adjudication committee established the definitive diagnosis of COVID-19. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p> A cohort was enrolled of 155 possible patient cases (two true positives). Twenty-one health care employees presented with suggestive symptoms for COVID-19. The rRT-PCR test was positive in one of the two patients. LUS was suggestive for COVID-19 pneumonia in four patients. The diagnostic accuracy of LUS was 98.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 95.4%–99.8%). The NPV was 100% (95% CI = 100%–100%). </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion:</jats:title><jats:p> LUS has a high enough NPV for excluding a COVID-19-related pneumonia in a cohort of health care employees who were exposed to the SARS-CoV2 virus. </jats:p></jats:sec>