Pneumonia due to SARS-associated coronavirus

This code identifies pneumonia specifically caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus. It describes an acute inflammatory condition of the lung parenchyma, characterized by consolidation and impaired gas exchange, directly attributable to SARS infection.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a diagnosis of pneumonia and explicitly states the causative agent is the SARS-associated coronavirus. This typically occurs during outbreaks or in patients with a confirmed epidemiological link and positive laboratory tests for SARS.

• Ensure documentation specifies "pneumonia" and "SARS-associated coronavirus" as the etiology.
• Do not use for pneumonia due to other coronaviruses (e.g., MERS-CoV, COVID-19) or unspecified viral pneumonia.
• Sequence as the primary diagnosis when the pneumonia is the reason for the encounter, or as a secondary diagnosis if another condition is the primary focus of treatment.