Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of COVID-19 patients progression to severe: a retrospective, observational study

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a world-wide emergency. The severity of COVID-19 is highly correlated with its mortality rate. We aimed to disclose the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of COVID-19 patients who developed severe COVID-19. The study enrolled cases (no=1848) with mild or moderate type of COVID-19 in Fangcang shelter hospital of Jianghan. A total of 56 patients progressed from mild or moderate to severe. We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model to select prognostic factors for this model. The case-severity rate was 3.6% in the shelter hospital. They were all symptomatic at admission. Fever, cough, and fatigue were the most common symptoms. Hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart diseases were common co-morbidities. Predictors contained in the prediction nomogram included fever, distribution of peak temperature (>38°C), myalgia or arthralgia and distribution of C-reactive protein (≥10 mg per L). The distribution of peak temperature (>38°C) on set, myalgia or arthralgia and C-reactive protein (≥10 mg per L) were the prognostic factors to identify the progression of COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate type. Early attention to these risk factors will help alleviate the progress of the COVID-19.