CRP and pneumonia: Thus, given that the overall accuracy of real-time C-reactive protein for all clinical forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection is still being debated, it is suggested that patients at high suspicion of having COVID-19 with initially negative nasopharyngeal swab results undergo either bronchoalveolar lavage or chest CT-scan (to detect ground-glass opacities with pneumonia), or both, in order to speed up diagnosis and treatment.