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. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):497-506.
doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30183-5. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China

Chaolin Huang  1 , Yeming Wang  2 , Xingwang Li  3 , Lili Ren  4 , Jianping Zhao  5 , Yi Hu  6 , Li Zhang  1 , Guohui Fan  7 , Jiuyang Xu  8 , Xiaoying Gu  7 , Zhenshun Cheng  9 , Ting Yu  1 , Jiaan Xia  1 , Yuan Wei  1 , Wenjuan Wu  1 , Xuelei Xie  1 , Wen Yin  6 , Hui Li  2 , Min Liu  10 , Yan Xiao  4 , Hong Gao  11 , Li Guo  4 , Jungang Xie  5 , Guangfa Wang  12 , Rongmeng Jiang  3 , Zhancheng Gao  13 , Qi Jin  4 , Jianwei Wang  14 , Bin Cao  15
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Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China

Chaolin Huang et al. Lancet. .

Erratum in

  • Department of Error.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Lancet. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):496. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30252-X. Epub 2020 Jan 30. Lancet. 2020. PMID: 32007144 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Background: A recent cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, was caused by a novel betacoronavirus, the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). We report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment and clinical outcomes of these patients.

Methods: All patients with suspected 2019-nCoV were admitted to a designated hospital in Wuhan. We prospectively collected and analysed data on patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing. Data were obtained with standardised data collection forms shared by WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium from electronic medical records. Researchers also directly communicated with patients or their families to ascertain epidemiological and symptom data. Outcomes were also compared between patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and those who had not.

Findings: By Jan 2, 2020, 41 admitted hospital patients had been identified as having laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection. Most of the infected patients were men (30 [73%] of 41); less than half had underlying diseases (13 [32%]), including diabetes (eight [20%]), hypertension (six [15%]), and cardiovascular disease (six [15%]). Median age was 49·0 years (IQR 41·0-58·0). 27 (66%) of 41 patients had been exposed to Huanan seafood market. One family cluster was found. Common symptoms at onset of illness were fever (40 [98%] of 41 patients), cough (31 [76%]), and myalgia or fatigue (18 [44%]); less common symptoms were sputum production (11 [28%] of 39), headache (three [8%] of 38), haemoptysis (two [5%] of 39), and diarrhoea (one [3%] of 38). Dyspnoea developed in 22 (55%) of 40 patients (median time from illness onset to dyspnoea 8·0 days [IQR 5·0-13·0]). 26 (63%) of 41 patients had lymphopenia. All 41 patients had pneumonia with abnormal findings on chest CT. Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome (12 [29%]), RNAaemia (six [15%]), acute cardiac injury (five [12%]) and secondary infection (four [10%]). 13 (32%) patients were admitted to an ICU and six (15%) died. Compared with non-ICU patients, ICU patients had higher plasma levels of IL2, IL7, IL10, GSCF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A, and TNFα.

Interpretation: The 2019-nCoV infection caused clusters of severe respiratory illness similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and was associated with ICU admission and high mortality. Major gaps in our knowledge of the origin, epidemiology, duration of human transmission, and clinical spectrum of disease need fulfilment by future studies.

Funding: Ministry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Date of illness onset and age distribution of patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection (A) Number of hospital admissions by age group. (B) Distribution of symptom onset date for laboratory-confirmed cases. The Wuhan local health authority issued an epidemiological alert on Dec 30, 2019, and closed the Huanan seafood market 2 days later.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Timeline of 2019-nCoV cases after onset of illness
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chest CT images (A) Transverse chest CT images from a 40-year-old man showing bilateral multiple lobular and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 15 after symptom onset. Transverse chest CT images from a 53-year-old woman showing bilateral ground-glass opacity and subsegmental areas of consolidation on day 8 after symptom onset (B), and bilateral ground-glass opacity on day 12 after symptom onset (C).
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