Epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestation of COVID-19:60 cases in Xuzhou

Objective To understand the prevalence and clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Xuzhou, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of the disease and offer clues for further mechanism studies. Methods Clinical data were collected from 60 COVID-19 patients positive in nucleic acid test in Xuzhou Infectious Diseases Hospital. The information on demographic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics, laboratory test indicators, chest CT manifestation, and treatment was analyzed. Results For these 60 COVID-19 patients, the median age was 39.5 years, ranging from 15 to 49 years old, with a male/female sex ratio of 22/38. Moreover, 83.3% patients were common cases, while 71.7% patients were infected due to contact with local COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, 17 patients (28.3%) were infected due to contact with COVID-19 patients in epidemic areas. The main symptoms included fever (63.3%), chest distress (48.3%), expectoration (41.7%) and cough (31.7%), while hemoptysis (1.7%) and myalgia or arthralgia (5.0%) were uncommon, and 20% patients suffered from other diseases such as hypertension. According to laboratory examination, 46.7% patients had lymphocytopenia, 28.3% had leukopenia and neutropenia; 40.0% had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and 33.3% had elevated lactate dehydrogenase; 48.3% had hypoalbuminemia, 38.3% had low potassium,and 41.7% had extended prothrombin time.The positive rate of IgM and IgG was 71.7% and 53.3%, respectively. According to CT examination, the most common problems were ground-glass opacity (86.7%) and interstitial abnormalities (40%), with more bilateral loci. All patients recovered and were discharged after systematic treatment. Conclusions All patients are generally susceptible to COVID-19. Most of COVID-19 patients in our hospital are young adults, with most common symptom of fever. On admission, lymphocytopenia and elevated CRP are commonly seen for laboratory examination, while ground-glass opacity is the most common issue for CT scanning.