Clinical findings of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Jiangsu province, China: A retrospective, multi-center study

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 14; no. 5; p. e0008280
• Main Authors: Huang, Rui, Zhu, Li, Xue, Leyang, Liu, Longgen, Yan, Xuebing, Wang, Jian, Zhang, Biao, Xu, Tianmin, Ji, Fang, Zhao, Yun, Cheng, Juan, Wang, Yinling, Shao, Huaping, Hong, Shuqin, Cao, Qi, Li, Chunyang, Zhao, Xiang-an, Zou, Lei, Sang, Dawen, Zhao, Haiyan, Guan, Xinying, Chen, Xiaobing, Shan, Chun, Xia, Juan, Chen, Yuxin, Yan, Xiaomin, Wei, Jie, Zhu, Chuanwu, Wu, Chao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.05.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Betacoronavirus; Biology and Life Sciences; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; C-reactive protein; China; China - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Confidence intervals; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology; Coronaviruses; Cough; Cough - virology; COVID-19; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Epidemics; Female; Fever; Fever - virology; Health risks; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Illnesses; Infectious diseases; Intensive Care Units; Laboratories; Lymphopenia; Lymphopenia - virology; Male; Medical records; Medical schools; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Pandemics; Patients; People and Places; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Risks; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Software; Statistics; Symptoms; Tropical diseases; Viral diseases; China; Jiangsu China
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008280

Limited data are available for clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outside Wuhan. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and identify the risk factors for severe illness of COVID-19 in Jiangsu province, China. Clinical data of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were retrospectively collected in 8 hospitals from 8 cities of Jiangsu province, China. Clinical findings of COVID-19 patients were described and risk factors for severe illness of COVID-19 were analyzed. By Feb 10, 2020, 202 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. The median age of patients was 44.0 years (interquartile range, 33.0-54.0). 55 (27.2%) patients had comorbidities. At the onset of illness, the common symptoms were fever (156 [77.2%]) and cough (120 [59.4%]). 66 (32.7%) patients had lymphopenia. 193 (95.5%) patients had abnormal radiological findings. 11 (5.4%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit and none of the patients died. 23 (11.4%) patients had severe illness. Severe illness of COVID-19 was independently associated with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR], 9.219; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.731 to 31.126; P<0.001) and a known history of type 2 diabetes (OR, 4.326; 95% CI, 1.059 to 17.668; P = 0.041). In this case series in Jiangsu Province, COVID-19 patients had less severe symptoms and had better outcomes than the initial COVID-19 patients in Wuhan. The BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2 and a known history of type 2 diabetes were independent risk factors of severe illness in patients with COVID-19.