Clinical and CT Features of Corona Virus Disease 2019 in Different Age Groups

Background: We sought to determine whether the age distribution can affect the clinical or computed tomography (CT) features of patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19 ). Methods: The clinical and CT data of 185 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were retrospectively analyzed, these features in different age groups(≤30 years old group (28 cases), 31~50 years old group (90 cases) and >50 years old group (67 cases)) were compared by χ2 or Fisher exact probability method and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, Mann-Whitney test. Findings: C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (39.94±55.10 mg/L) increased with significant differences in the >50 years old group than other groups (P 50 years old group included larger distribution of severe (69.0%) and fatal (100%) types than other groups. The group ≤30 years old had more ground lesions and less Fan-shaped lesions, crazy paving pattern and other changes like emphysema, while the >50 years old group found the opposite. There were significant differences between the > 50 and the ≤30 years old groups in all lung scores (P=0.001, right upper lobe; P=0.001, right middle lobe; P=0.025, right lower lobe; P=0.002, left upper lobe; P=0.031, left lower lobe; P=0.001, total severity score). Interpretation: In patients with COVID-19, the age distribution could affect both the clinical and CT features in significant measure. Taking consideration of the age influence could facilitate the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Funding: No funding. Declaration of Interests: The named authors have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This case series was conducted with the approval of the Ethics of Committees of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, PLA (Approval Number: KY2020036), which waived the requirement for patients’ informed consent. The anonymous data was collected and analyzed.