Clinical characteristics and reasons of different duration from onset to release from quarantine for patients with COVID-19 Outside Hubei province, China. (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Objective: To find out more characteristics and rules of COVID-19 by analyzing the clinical course of COVID-19 patients in a region outside Hubei province. Methods: 37 cases diagnosed adult COVID-19 cases of general characteristics, history of epidemiology, chronic underlying diseases,clinical symptoms and complications, chest CT, biochemical monitoring, severity assessment, treatment and outcome were retrospectively analyzed, and according to the duration from onset to release from quarantine were divided into 20-day group and > 20-day group, compare the similarities and differences between the two groups. Results: Among the 37 patients, 5 were mild, 30 were moderate, 1 was severe and 1 was critical. All the patients were released from quarantine without death. The average duration from onset to release from quarantine was 20.2{+/-}6.6 days, The average length of stay from onset to hospitalization was 4.1{+/-}3.7 days, and hospitalization duration average 16.1{+/-} 6.2 days. The average age was 44.3{+/-}1.67 years. 78.4% of cases were caused by exposure to a confirmed patient or the workplace of a confirmed patient. The main symptoms were cough (67.6%), fever( 62.2%), shortness of breath (32.4%), fatigue (24.3%), sore throat (21.6%,) vomiting or diarrhea (21.6%). The white blood cell count was decreased in 27.0% of the patients, and the lymphocyte count was decreased in 62.2% of the patients, of which 43.5% patients were <0.6 x 109/L. On admission, 86.5% of patients with chest CT showed pneumonia, including some asymptomatic patients. 68.8% of patients showed bilateral infiltration. In the > 20-day group, the average age was 49.9{+/-}1.38 years old, and the duration from onset to hospitalization was 5.5{+/-}3.9 days. Compared with the [≤]20-day group, the age was older and and duration was longer, P < 0.05. All the 7 asymptomatic patients were [≤]20-day group. When 37 patients were released from quarantine, the white blood cell count of 16.2% patients was <4.0 x 109/L, and the lymphocyte count of 59.5% patients was <1.1x109/L, and the absolute count of white blood cells and lymphocytes was 5.02 {+/-} 1.34x109/L and 1.03{+/-} 0.34x109/L respectively , compared with those on admission, P >0.05. Conclusion: The majority of COVID-19 cases in the study area were mild and moderate, with good clinical outcomes. There were some special characteristics in the clinical process. The reasons of duration from onset to release from quarantine were complex. There was no significant change in the number of granulocytes at the time of release from quarantine compared to the time of admission.