Epidemiological Features of 105 Patients Infected with the COVID-19

J Natl Med Assoc. 2021 Apr;113(2):212-217. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2020.09.151. Epub 2020 Oct 23.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate and evaluate the clinical features of patients infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outside of Wuhan.

Methods: 105 patients admitted to our hospital with clinical- and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection were studied. Data were collected from January 17, 2020 to March 5, 2020.

Results: 105 patients (57 male and 48 female) were confirmed to have COVID-19 infection. Among the 105 patients, 55 (52%) had made short trips to Wuhan during the two weeks before the onset of illness, and these were the first-generation confirmed cases. An exact date of close contact with someone in Wenzhou with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection from Wuhan (the second-generation confirmed cases) could be provided by 38 (36%) patients. Of the remaining patients, six (6%; the third-generation confirmed cases) were familial clusters of the second-generation confirmed cases, three (3%) had no definite epidemiological features, and 16 (15%) were from the same location as for the case report.

Conclusion: Due to the infectiousness of COVID-19, patients with infections should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible after developing fever symptoms or showing other clinical characteristics or imaging features. With respect to high-risk cases, we must focus on any complications that arise and take effective measures to treat them immediately. This will significantly improve the prognosis of patients with severe infections.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus; Clinical findings; Epidemiological features; Outside of Wuhan.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage*
  • COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing / methods
  • COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing / statistics & numerical data
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / physiopathology
  • COVID-19* / therapy
  • China / epidemiology
  • Contact Tracing / methods
  • Contact Tracing / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone / administration & dosage*
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Symptom Assessment* / methods
  • Symptom Assessment* / statistics & numerical data
  • Time-to-Treatment
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Methylprednisolone