To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients with confirmed new coronavirus infection pneumonia (COVID-19) found in Guiyang.

Eighteen patients with COVID-19 admitted to the isolation ward of Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital from January 29 to February 17, 2020 were selected as research subjects. The clinical data of patients were collected and their general situation, clinical symptoms, CT image characteristics were analyzed. According to the relevant diagnostic criteria, the 18 patients were divided into two groups: mild group including the normal type (9 cases), and severe group including severe type and critical type(9 cases). The relationship between serological inflammation and clinical classification of the disease was analyzed by comparing the changes of serological inflammatory markers between the two groups.

The main symptoms of 18 COVID-19 patients were fever and respiratory symptoms, and some of them were accompanied by diarrhea and other symptoms. In peripheral blood examination, there were 16 cases of normal and decreased white blood cells, 16 cases of normal and decreased neutrophils, 7 cases of decreased lymphocyte number, 15 cases of blood sedimentation rate higher than normal, 10 cases of PCT higher than normal, 7 cases of interleukin-6 higher than normal, and no significant changes in liver function, kidney function, myocardial enzyme and CRP. Compared to patients with mild group, levels of serum interleukin-6 in patients with severe group was higher (P<0.05). Serum CRP and PCT in patients with severe group, ferritin, LDH, blood sedimentation were higher than those in mild group of patients, but there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Most of the patients with NCP had typical pulmonary lesions, which were mostly scattered in patchy and patchy ground glass density shadows with blurred edges. Some of the lesions showed interstitial changes, mainly in the peripheral lung of COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 patients in Guiyang have a clear epidemiological history. The main clinical features are fever and respiratory symptoms, and the clinical symptoms are relatively mild. The counts of serum white blood cells and neutrophils are normal, and the blood biochemistry is basically normal. Almost all of the patients have typical pulmonary lesions on CT. Patients with underlying diseases may easily develop into severe and critical forms. Interleukin-6 has certain clinical significance in clinical classification of COVID-19. Whether serum CRP, PCT, ferritin, LDH and erythrocyte sedimentation rate have clinical significance remains to be further studied.