Cited by 27,263COVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchLong-Term Effects of COVID-19

Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study

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Zhou, Fei, Yu, Ting, Du, Ronghui, Fan, Guohui, Liu, Ying, Liu, Zhibo, Xiang, Jie, Wang, Yeming +11 more·2020·The Lancet

Abstract

Background Since December, 2019, Wuhan, China, has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 have been reported but risk factors for mortality and a detailed clinical course of illness, including viral shedding, have not been well described. Methods In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we included all adult inpatients (≥18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan, China) who had been discharged or had died by Jan 31, 2020. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data, including serial samples for viral RNA detection, were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between survivors and non-survivors. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Findings 191 patients (135 from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital) were included in this study, of whom 137 were discharged and 54 died in hospital. 91 (48%) patients had a comorbidity, with hypertension being the most common (58 [30%] patients), followed by diabetes (36 [19%] patients) and coronary heart disease (15 [8%] patients). Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death associated with older age (odds ratio 1·10, 95% CI 1·03-1·17, per year increase; p=0·0043), higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (5·65, 2·61-12·23; p<0·0001), and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL (18·42, 2·64-128·55; p=0·0033) on admission. Median duration of viral shedding was 20·0 days (IQR 17·0-24·0) in survivors, but SARS-CoV-2 was detectable until death in non-survivors. The longest observed duration of viral shedding in survivors was 37 days. Interpretation The potential risk factors of older age, high SOFA score, and d-dimer greater than 1 μg/mL could help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis at an early stage. Prolonged viral shedding provides the rationale for a strategy of isolation of infected patients and optimal antiviral interventions in the future. Funding Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences; National Science Grant for Distinguished Young Scholars; National Key Research and Development Program of China; The Beijing Science and Technology Project; and Major Projects of National Science and Technology on New Drug Creation and Development.

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  • Aging, obesity and inflammation-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are risk factors for the severity of COVID-19.

    “Of note, aging, obesity and inflammation-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have been shown to be risk factors for the severity of COVID-19 (293, 371–373).”

    From IL-6 in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer (2021) · cites this paper as [293]

    The Discussion identifies older age as a risk factor for in-hospital death among adults hospitalised with COVID-19. Table 1 in the Results shows diabetes and coronary heart disease were more common among non-survivors than survivors, but it does not establish them as independent risk factors for disease severity. The paper does not report obesity as a risk factor. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Blood IL-6 level is highly correlated with COVID-19 disease mortality.

    “Among the elevated inflammatory mediators, the blood IL-6 level is highly correlated with the disease mortality (293, 338) and predicts the need for mechanical ventilation (339).”

    From IL-6 in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer (2021) · cites this paper as [293]

  • COVID-19 mortality rises with increasing age and with comorbidities.

    “While the virus affects people of all ages, data have consistently shown that mortality is higher with increasing age and comorbidities [[3], [4], [5], [6]].”
  • Neutralizing antibody levels correlate with viral load and are higher in more severe disease and in older versus younger adults.

    “The magnitude of these NAb responses appear to correlate with viral load, with higher responses reported in patients with more severe disease, and in older adults compared with younger adults26–29.”
  • Among patients who developed severe disease, median time to dyspnea was 5 to 8 days, median time to ARDS was 8 to 12 days, and median time to intensive care unit admission was 10 to 12 days after symptom onset.

    “Additional studies found that, among patients who developed severe disease, the median time to dyspnea was 5 to 8 days, the median time to ARDS was 8 to 12 days, and the median time to intensive care unit admission was 10 to 12 days after symptom onset (68–70).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [1]Phelan AL Katz R Gostin LO The novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China: challenges for global health governance JAMA 2020 published online Jan 30. 10.1001/jama.2020.1097 31999307 · DOI
  2. [10]Ranieri VM Rubenfeld GD Thompson BT Acute respiratory distress syndrome: the Berlin Definition JAMA 307 2012 2526 2533 22797452
  3. [28]Corrales-Medina VF Musher DM Wells GA Chirinos JA Chen L Fine MJ Cardiac complications in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: incidence, timing, risk factors, and association with short-term mortality Circulation 125 2012 773 781 22219349

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Authors
Zhou, F., Yu, T., Du, R., Fan, G., Liu, Y., Liu, Z., Xiang, J., Wang, Y., Song, B., Gu, X., Guan, L., Wei, Y., Li, H., Wu, X., Xu, J., Tu, S., Zhang, Y., Chen, H., & Cao, B.
Affiliations
  • Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
  • Jinyintan Hospital (CN)
  • Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (CN)
  • Capital Medical University (CN)
  • Tsinghua University (CN)
Corresponding author
Chen, Hua
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-03
Volume
395
Issue
10229
Pages
1054-1062
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
OpenAlex
W3009885589
Cited by
27,263
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 409 · 2025: 791 · 2024: 1528 · 2023: 2790 · 2022: 4524 · 2021: 7747 · 2020: 9427 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 3
FWCI
778.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2020-03-28)
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DSPACE System - Metalibrary (University of the Coast) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • reponame:Expeditio Repositorio Institucional UJTL
Funders
  • University of Oxford
  • Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CIFMS 2018-I2M-1-003, 2018-I2M-1-003)
  • Peking Union Medical College
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1200100, 2018YFC1200102)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, in-hospital mortality, risk factors, clinical course, viral shedding, SOFA score, D-dimer, comorbidities, hypertension, age, hospitalized adults, Wuhan outbreak, mortality prediction model, prognostic factors, organ failure, coagulopathy, cytokine storm, cytokine release syndrome
MeSH terms
Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Testing, Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cardiovascular Diseases, China, Female, Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Patient Care Planning, Patient Isolation, Pneumonia, Viral, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Coronavirus Infections, Disease Progression, Risk Assessment, Clinical Laboratory Techniques, Diabetes Complications, Young Adult, Pandemics, Organ Dysfunction Scores

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