Clinical features and management of severe COVID-19: A retrospective study in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China

Jiang, Xiufeng; Tao, Jianxin; Wu, Hui; Wang, Yixin; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Min; Huang, Jiehui; You, Qian; Meng, Hua; Zhu, Feng; Zhang, Xiaoqing; Qian, Meifang; Qiu, Yuanwang

Objective: We aimed to investigate clinical features and management of 55 COVID-19 patients in Wuxi, especially severe COVID-19. Methods: Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, treatment, and outcome data of patients were collected. Follow-up lasted until April 6, 2020. Results: All 55 patients included 47 (85.5%) non-severe patients and 8 (14.5%) severe patients. Common comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes. Common symptoms were fever, cough and sputum. Lymphopenia was a common laboratory finding, and ground-glass opacity was a common chest CT feature. All patients received antiviral therapy of α-interferon inhalation and lopinavir-ritonavir tablets. Common complications included acute liver injury and respiratory failure. All patients were discharged. No death was occurred and no medical staff got infected. Patients with severe COVID-19 showed significantly older age, decreased lymphocytes, increased C reactive protein, and higher frequency of bilateral lung infiltration compared to non-severe patients. Significantly more treatments including antibiotic therapy and mechanical ventilation, longer hospitalization stay and higher cost were shown on severe patients. Conclusions: Our study suggested that patients with severe COVID-19 may be more likely to have an older age, present with lymphopenia and bilateral lung infiltration, receive multiple treatments and stay longer in hospital.