Coronavirus (COVID-19) ICD 10 Coding Guidelines

Since the begining of 2020, their has been a hugh loss of lives due to deadly coronavirus and  it has become a global threat now. Still the corovirus is spreading from one country to other and taking lives of infected people.Hence, due to this deadly coronavius the Centers for Disease control and prevention (CDC) has now released a document to update or add the ICD 10 codes for Coronavirus (COVID-19) to the 2020  ICD 10 codebook. The cases of coronavirus infection should be reported with these updated ICD 10 codes.

The ICD-10-CM codes provided in this document are intended to provide information on the coding of encounters related to coronavirus.

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Pneumonia

For a pneumonia case confirmed as due to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), assign codes J12.89, Other viral pneumonia, and B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.

B97.2 Coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

B97.21 SARS-associated coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

Excludes1: pneumonia due to SARS-associated coronavirus (J12.81)

B97.29 Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

Acute Bronchitis

For a patient with acute bronchitis confirmed as due to COVID-19, assign codes J20.8, Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms, and B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere. Bronchitis not otherwise specified (NOS) due to the COVID-19 should be coded using code J40, Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic; along with code B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.

J20.8 Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms

Lower Respiratory Infection

If the COVID-19 is documented as being associated with a lower respiratory infection, not otherwise specified (NOS), or an acute respiratory infection, NOS, this should be assigned with code J22, Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection, with code B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere. If the COVID-19 is documented as being associated with a respiratory infection, NOS, it would be appropriate to assign code J98.8, Other specified respiratory disorders, with code B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.

J22 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection

J98.8 Other specified respiratory disorders

ARDS

Cases with ARDS due to COVID-19 should be assigned the codes J80, Acute respiratory distress syndrome, and B97.29, Other coronavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.

Exposure to COVID-19

For cases where there is a concern about a possible exposure to COVID-19, but this is ruled out after evaluation, it would be appropriate to assign the code Z03.818, Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out.

For cases where there is an actual exposure to someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19, it would be appropriate to assign the code Z20.828, Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable diseases.

Signs and symptoms

For patients presenting with any signs/symptoms (such as fever, etc.) and where a definitive diagnosis has not been established, assign the appropriate code(s) for each of the presenting signs and symptoms

such as:

• R05 Cough
• R06.02 Shortness of breath
• R50.9 Fever, unspecified

Note: Diagnosis code B34.2, Coronavirus infection, unspecified, would in generally not be appropriate for the COVID-19, because the cases have universally been respiratory in nature, so the site would not be “unspecified.”

B34.2 Coronavirus infection, unspecified

If the provider documents “suspected”, “possible” or “probable” COVID-19, do not assign code B97.29. Assign a code(s) explaining the reason for encounter (such as fever, or Z20.828).

References: 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/ICD-10-CM-Official-Coding-Gudance-Interim-Advice-coronavirus-feb-20-2020.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/10cmguidelines-FY2020_final.pdf