Clinical Characteristics and CT Manifestations of 143 Hospitalized Patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outside Wuhan: A Multi-Center Study in Taizhou City, Zhejiang, China

Background: In December 2019, the first case of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus was found in Wuhan and rapidly spread throughout China, so data are needed on the clinical characteristics of the affected patients. Methods: Cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed by laboratory in four hospitals in Taizhou city from January 17, 2020 to February 26, 2020 were collected and divided into non-severe group and severe group according to the severity of the disease. The clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations and imaging features of COVID-19 infection in the two groups were analyzed, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Findings: A total of 143 laboratory-confirmed cases were included in the study, including 110 non-severe patients and 33 severe patients. The median age of patients was 47 (range 4-86 years). Fever (73.4%) and cough (63.6%) were the most common initial clinical symptoms. Between two groups of cases, the results of aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, serum albumin, CPR, glomerular filtration rate, amyloid protein A, fibrinogen, calcitonin level and oxygen partial pressure, red protein, IL – 10, absolute value of CD3, CD4, CD8 were different, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). On admission, the CT showed that the lesions were mostly distributed in the external lung or under the pleura (135 cases (98%)), and most of lesions presented as patchy (81%), heterogeneous (73%) and mixed density (63%) shadow. Consolidation (68% vs 41%), bronchial inflation signs (59% vs 41%), and bronchiectasis (71% vs 39%) were more common in the severe group. Up until Feb 26th 2020,83 patients remained in the hospital, 61 were discharged and no patient died. Interpretation: The transmission dynamics of Taizhou cases were basically consistent with the national situation. In non-severe patients, only abnormal results of the laboratory examination of the inflammation project were found, while in severe patients, dysfunction of multiple systems not only the respiratory system was found. Differences in the results of some laboratory items can be used to assess the severity of the disease. CT manifestations of consolidation, bronchodilatation signs and bronchodilatation signs are indications of aggravation of the disease. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This retrospective multicenter cohort study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of each participating hospital. Given the urgency of the data, written informed consent was waived.