The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan in 2019 led to the discovery of a novel coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 due to its rapid and widespread transmission. Its impact has had profound implications, particularly in the realm of public health. Extensive scientific endeavors have been directed towards devising effective treatment strategies and vaccines. Within the healthcare and medical imaging domain, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought significant advantages. This study delves into peer-reviewed research articles spanning the years 2020 to 2022, focusing on AI-driven methodologies for the analysis and screening of COVID-19 through chest CT scan data. We assess the efficacy of deep learning algorithms in facilitating decision making processes. Our exploration encompasses various facets, including data collection, systematic contributions, emerging techniques, and encountered challenges. However, the comparison of outcomes between 2020 and 2022 proves intricate due to shifts in dataset magnitudes over time. The initiatives aimed at developing AI-powered tools for the detection, localization, and segmentation of COVID-19 cases are primarily centered on educational and training contexts. We deliberate on their merits and constraints, particularly in the context of necessitating cross-population train/test models. Our analysis encompassed a review of 231 research publications, bolstered by a meta-analysis employing search keywords (COVID-19 OR Coronavirus) AND chest CT AND (deep learning OR artificial intelligence OR medical imaging) on both the PubMed Central Repository and Web of Science platforms.
Keywords: COVID-19; chest CT; deep structured learning; medical imaging.