Characteristics of Disease Progress in 101 Hospitalized Patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China

Background: Albeit two months passed since the first case of unexplained pneumonia reported officially, the numbers of infected or died patients with COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) are still increasing. We report the clinical, radiological and laboratory characteristics of COVID-19 as disease progressed. Method: A retrospective, single-center study of 101 confirmed-patients with COVID-19 at Wuhan University Renmin Hospital from January 2nd to 28th, 2020 was conducted; final date of follow-up was on February 8, 2020. We collected clinical, radiological and laboratory findings in the course of illness. Patients were classified into four clinical stage groups (uncomplicated illness, mild, severe and critical pneumonia) according to the latest official guidelines, and group differences were then compared over time. Results: The median age of the 101 patients was 51.0 years (IQR, 37.0-61.0) and 34 patients [33.6%] were medical staffs. On admission, the number of patients with uncomplicated illness, mild, severe and critical pneumonia were 1 [1%], 86 [85%], 11[11%] and 2[2%], and another could not be unclassified because of pregnancy. 44 cases [51%] of the 86 mild pneumonia progressed to severe condition with 4 ( IQR, 1-7) days in median, and 9 patients [10%] further worsened to critical pneumonia within 4 (IQR, 3-8) days; 2 of the 11 severe patients improved to mild condition while 3 others deteriorated. Significant differences were observed among groups of different clinical stages in numbers of influenced pulmonary segments (6 (IQR, 2-12) vs 12 (IQR,6-15) vs 17 (IQR, 10-18), P 300 mg/L in mild, severe and critical conditions were 18%, 46% and 71%, respectively. Interpretation: The COVID-19 progresses rapidly and early intervention and treatment are critically crucial for patients' prognosis. Radiological patterns and laboratory parameters can timely reflect disease’s progression, providing useful help for disease’s diagnosis and treatment. Funding Statement: National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81901817); Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2018CFB136); Innovation Seed Funding of Wuhan University (No. TFZZ2018020). Declaration of Interests: The authors stated that there was no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Wuhan University Renmin Hospital (ethics number: V1.0), and written informed consent was waived.