Diverse clinical processes of 16 COVID-19 cases who concentrated infection in the same workplace in Beijing, China: An observational study

Zhang, Chi; Mu, Jing; Zhang, Daitao; Li, Jiawen; Wang, He; Jin, Yunv; Han, Yan; Li, Haiyang; Zhang, Chunxiao; Yu, Peng; Guo, Rui; Dou, Xiangfeng; Chu, Yanhui; Wu, Zhao; Dong, Xiaoqin; Wang, Guiqiang; Zhao, Hong

Since December 2019, an outbreak of COVID-19 sweeping the world. Understanding the clinical and SARS-CoV-2 dynamic changes of mild and ordinary patients of COVID-19, so as to provide basis for the prevention and control of COVID-19. On February 1st, 2020, 16 SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive patients diagnosed in the same site in Beijing. The patients symptoms, signs, medication, and SARS-CoV-2 results were recorded. Of the 16 patients, 12 were female. Although they were infected at the same time in the same workplace, their clinical processes were very different and can be roughly divided into three different types: persistent sputum positive, persistent stool positive and persistent both positive. In 7 patients with mild clinical manifestations, the median days of SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion in sputum samples were significantly later than those with obvious lung injury (27 days [range: 18 to 36]; 17 days, [range 6 to 25], P = .021). The negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stool was significant later than in sputum. There were various clinical manifestations after SARS-CoV-2 infection, even if they were infected by the same source of infection in the same place. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in stool samples was longer than that in respiratory tract.