Clinical features and laboratory findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a new emerging public health crisis to the world. However, data are still limited on the clinical features and laboratory findings in COVID-19 patients.Methods: Medical records including demographics characteristics, clinical features, laboratory findings and radiological materials of 66 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were collected between Jan 23 and Mar 9, 2020. Symptoms/signs with potential association with the disease severity were analyzed.Results: Of 66 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the male-to-female ratio was 44:22. There were eight cases potentially exposed to one single patient. The most common initial symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection were fever (77.3%) and cough (74.2%). Compared to those with non-severe infection, the severe patients were more likely to be older (62.6 ± 15.1 vs 46.9 ± 13.3 years. P = 0.001) and with more infected lobes. As the results shown, higher initial (on admission) and peak (during hospitalization) counts of lymphocyte were inversely associated with the severe SARS-CoV-2 infection (both OR: 0.01 every 1´109/L decrease). However, the elevated initial neutrophil counts (OR: 1.63 every 1´109/L increase), initial and peak levels of LDH (OR: 1.02 and 1.01 every 1 U/L increase), peak levels of CRP (OR: 1.03 every 1 mg/L increase), AST (OR: 1.06 every 1 U/L increase) and ALT (OR: 1.02 every 1 U/L increase) were significantly associated with COVID-19 severity.Conclusion: Our present study indicated that fever and cough were the most common initial symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the virus could be efficiently spread by person-to-person transmission. In addition, lymphocyte and neutrophil counts, and serum levels of AST, ALT, CRP and LDH should be useful for the evaluation on COVID-19 severity.