Epidemiological and Clinical Features of 197 Patients Infected with 2019 Novel Coronavirus in Chongqing, China: A Single Center Descriptive Study

Background: Previous case data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focused on the origin of the outbreak in Wuhan, China. To our knowledge, the data we reported is the largest single-center cases outside Wuhan by far. This study was focused on the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in second-generation and above cases. Methods: This was a single center, retrospective study. We collected a total of 197 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed at Chongqing three Gorges Central Hospital from Jan 21 to Feb 8, 2020. The data of epidemiology, demography, comorbidities, clinical characteristics, treatments and results were obtained through the electronic medical record system, and these data were statistically analyzed. Findings: 109 men and 88 women were included in our study. Of the 197 patients with COVID-19, 148(75·1%) had a history of exposure to Wuhan before the onset of the disease, and 49 (24·9%) cases did not have this history. The age of the patients ranged from 7 months and 25 days to 82 years old, and the median age was 49 years old.59 (30%) cases had chronic diseases. 55 (27·9%) cases were treated in ICU, the clinical manifestations of the patients were fever (111[56·.3%]), dry cough (75[40·5%]), fatigue (36[18·3%]), headache (33[16·8%]) and dyspnea (30[15·2%]). Spitting (22 [12%]), myalgia (11[11·7%]), sore throat (14[7·1%]), diarrhea (9[4·5%]), cold (17[8·6%]), nausea (17[8·6%]), vomiting (2[1%]), chest discomfort (4 [2·0%]), chest tightness (12[6·1%]), abdominal distension(4[2·0%]), no symptoms(18 [9·1%]), There were multiple symptoms (179 [90·9%]patients). One of the patients died of serious complications. Interpretation: In our investigation, it was obviously that the COVID-19 can spread through person to person. The main manifestations of the patients were mainly upper respiratory symptoms, and some of the patients were accompanied by symptoms of the digestive system. There was no significant age limit for the infectivity of the population, but elderly people were still vulnerable groups. Patients with diabetes were more likely to develop into severe patients, and the probability of admission to the ICU was significantly increased. Funding Statement: This study was funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.(NO. 2020CDJYGRH-YJ03). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The institutional ethics committee of Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital (Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital) reviewed and approved this study, and the need for informed consent was exempt.