CT findings of severe novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A case report of Heilongjiang Province, China

Wang, Ziao; Jiang, Huijie; Jiang, Hao; Zheng, Ruoshui; Yi, Ru

2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19, previously known as novel coronavirus pneumonia) was first discovered in December 2019 and spread widely in China and all over the world in 2020. The initial symptoms of most patients include fever, cough, and fatigue. Dyspnea may occur with the progress of the disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome may occur in severe cases. The CT manifestations of this disease are mainly ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the lung, which may be accompanied by patchy consolidation, and fibrous changes may appear in the lung at the later stage of the disease. Combined with typical clinical and imaging findings and positive nucleic acid test results, the disease can be diagnosed. We report the first case of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Heilongjiang Province, China. The patient was seriously ill, who felt that he suffered from fever, fatigue, cough, and expectoration and sought medical treatment, with a history of contact with Wuhan. The leukocyte count was normal, and the lymphocyte count was decreased. CT imaging showed large GGO and partial patchy consolidation in both lungs. The patient recovered and was discharged after 26 days of treatment. This study is helpful for early diagnosis and timely clinical management by mastering the typical imaging of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).