Clinical features and chest CT findings of three cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) pneumonia

Hu, Xiaoyan; Gou, Jie; Guo, Liang

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, a new type of acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) appeared to Wuhan, China. Currently, positive of virus nucleic acid in respiratory or blood samples is the gold standard for the diagnosis of the disease, but the nucleic acid test may be false negative. Chest CT examination plays an important role in diagnosis of COVID-2019 pneumonia. CASE PRESENTATION: The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, and chest CT characteristics of 3 patients with COVID-2019 pneumonia were reported. The mainly clinical manifestation of the 3 patients was fever. white blood cell, neutrophil cell and lymphocyte cell count can be normal, only C-Reactive Protein slightly elevated. Real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction of throat swab detection can be negative. Chest CT showed multifocal ground-glass opacities (GGO) in the peripheral of bilateral lungs. GGOs with consolidation, air bronchogram, vascular enlargement and halo sign were be found. CONCLUSIONS: In the early stages of COVID-2019 pneumonia, the laboratory parameters may be normal, the nucleic acid test may be false negative. Chest CT examination may be helpful for diagnosis of COVID-2019 pneumonia.