Objective: To identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19.
A retrospective, single-centre study including 99 confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was conducted in Wuhan, China with the aim to further clarify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia.
Characteristics
- Older males with chronic comorbidities like cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes are more likely to be affected due to weaker immune functions.
- Infection of 2019-nCoV may lead to severe and even fatal respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- Different therapies were given to patients, including:
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- Antiviral therapy to 75 patients
- Antibiotic therapy to 70 patients (25 patients were given single antibiotic and 45 patients were treated with combination therapy)
- Antifungal therapy to 15 patients
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Administration of Antibiotics
Antibiotics were given to prevent co-infection with bacteria and strengthen immune support treatment to help reduce complications and mortality in COVID-19 patients with low immune function. These include:
- Elderly patients
- Diabetics
- Patients with HIV infection
- Patients with long-term use of immunosuppressive agents
- Pregnant women
Antibiotics used in the treatment were:
- Cephalosporins
- Quinolones
- Carbapenems
- Tigecycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Linezolid
Reference: Chen N, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395:507–513. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30211-7