Clinical Characteristics and CT Imaging Features of COVID-19 on Admission: A Retrospective Study

10.2174/1573405617666210218093549 Abstract: Background and Aims: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global health issue. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and CT imaging fea-tures of patients with COVID-19 on admission. Methods: Consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were retrospectively recruit-ed to this study from January 2020 to March 2020. According to the disease severity status on ad -mission, patients were divided into two groups, the common group, and the severe group. Results: Forty-four patients (F/M 20/24) who were COVID-19 positive were enrolled in this study. The most common onset symptom was fever (90.9%), followed by cough (43.2%). As for the labo-ratory tests, common findings included increased C reactive protein (47.7%) and erythrocyte sedi-mentation rate (43.2%) and decreased lymphocyte (34.1%). The frequency of decreased lympho-cyte count and increased lactate dehydrogenasewas higher in the severe group (n=14) than in the common group (n=30). About 86% of patients showed typical imaging findings of COVID-19 in-fection, including ground-glass opacity with ill-defined margins, air bronchogram, interlobular sep -tal thickening, and consolidation. Lesions were mainly located in the peripheral and subpleural re-gions with diffused distribution and multiple lung lobes were found to be affected. Conclusion: Fever and cough were the most common onset symptoms of COVID-19. Increased C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were the most common laboratory findings. Typical signs of chest CT imaging of COVID-19 included ground-glass opacity with ill-defined margins, air bronchogram, interlobular septal thickening, and consolidation.