To analyze the changes of emergency patients’ visiting characteristics under the influence of "novel coronavirus-19(COVID-19)" epidemic, to explore the changing trend of emergency medical demand in the future, and to provide the basis for rational allocation of emergency resources, establishment of emergency treatment research direction and training of medical staff.

A retrospective cohort study method was used to compare the number of emergency patients, the composition of disease types and disease grades, and the changes of nursing human resource allocation data before and during the epidemic in Nantong First People’s Hospital from January to July 2019 to January to July 2020.

The total number of emergency patients was 103 033 before the epidemic and 68 575 during the epidemic. The proportion of visits for medical diseases decreased significantly, while that for surgical diseases increased significantly (all P<0.001). Compared with the pre-epidemic group, the proportion of respiratory diseases and environmental injuries in the internal medicine system of the epidemic group decreased significantly (all P<0.001). In the surgical system, urinary system, vascular system and trauma increased significantly (all P<0.001). Among the first and second grade patients, the proportion of diseases in the internal medicine system increased significantly during the epidemic period, while that in the surgical system decreased significantly (P<0.05), while that in the severe trauma during the epidemic decreased significantly (P<0.05). The total number of nursing shifts in the group before the epidemic was 6 177, and that in the group during the epidemic was 7 499. During the period, the frequency of pre-inspection of epidemic situation increased significantly (P<0.001); The number of visiting shifts was significantly reduced (P<0.001).

The characteristics of emergency patients under COVID-19 epidemic can reflect the real emergency needs in this area, and the main needs are respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological and digestive system specialties of internal medicine and surgical trauma treatment. It has certain reference value for the future development of emergency department, key training direction, human resource allocation and emergency big data construction in tertiary general hospitals.