Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Patients out of Wuhan from China

Abstract Background: A large-scale global outbreak of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) out of Wuhan, from China, occurred in January 2020. Objective: To examine the clinical characteristics of COVID-19in infected patients out of Wuhan, from China. Patients and Methods: Thirteen patients were confirmed to be infected with novel coronavirus-2019 (2019-nCoV) between January 27andFebruary 8, 2020, in Baoji city, Shanxi, northwestern China. Epidemiological and clinical information, and computed to morphology imaging data from all COVID-19 patients were collected; cases were divided into two groups according to the severity of infection (mild or severe). Results: Nine (9/13) COVID-19patientsexhibitedmild disease severity, and defined as second-generation, human-to-human transmission cases. Most patients (11/13) had a history of travel to or from Wuhan. There were no differences in sex and age between the mild and severe cases (all P>0.05). A moderate degree of fever (11/13), cough (13/13), and fatigue (8/13) were common symptoms; however, there was no statistical difference between mild and severe cases in this regard (all P>0.05). Oxyhemoglobin saturation and oxygenation index decreased, and C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels were elevated in all patients with COVID-19infection, with statistically significant differences between those with severe disease and mild infection (all P<0.05).Twelve of 13COVID-19patients exhibited changes in chest CT imaging features, and time course changes were different between mild and severe cases (all P<0.05).Conclusion: Most cases of COVID-19infection were second-generation human-to-human transmissions from Wuhan and were mild in severity. The clinical characteristics of COVID-19varied.Oxyhemoglobin saturation, oxygenation index, CRP and SAA levels, and CT features were reliable parameters to evaluate the severity of COVID-19 infection. However, a few patients with mild COVID-19diseaselackedtypicalcharacteristics such as fever and changes in CT imaging features.