Clinical progression and outcomes of 260 patients with severe COVID-19: an observational study

This paper presents the results of an observational, prospective study of the clinical progression and outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19. Overall, 260 patients with severe COVID-19 were included. The median age of the patients was 61 years (IQR 42.0–73.0), and 119 (45.8%) patients had one or more medical comorbidities. The median time from initial onset of symptoms to hospital admission was 8 days (IQR 6.0–11.0). Varying degrees of abnormalities in blood biochemical results were detected in most patients. All patients received supportive therapy and antiviral treatment. All patients were administered empirical antibiotic treatment with a median time of 5 days (IQR 3–7). Mechanical ventilation was required in accordance with respiratory conditions. At the data cutoff, 183 (70.4%) patients had been discharged, and 17 (6.5%) patients had been transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Twenty-five (9.6%) patients had died, and 35 (13.5%) patients were still in the hospital. During follow-up, 7 patients with fever were negative for SARS-Cov-2 antigens upon retest. The implications of the results are discussed for clinical features and the management of patients with severe COVID-19.