Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
February 24, 2020
[h=1]Characteristics of and Important Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in ChinaSummary of a Report of 72 314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention[/h]
Zunyou Wu, MD, PhD[SUP]1[/SUP]; Jennifer M. McGoogan, PhD[SUP]1[/SUP]
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA. Published online February 24, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2648
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently published the largest case series to date of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in mainland China (72 314 cases, updated through February 11, 2020).[SUP]1[/SUP] This Viewpoint summarizes key findings from this report and discusses emerging understanding of and lessons from the COVID-19 epidemic.
Epidemiologic Characteristics of the COVID-19 Outbreak
Among a total of 72 314 case records (Box), 44 672 were classified as confirmed cases of COVID-19 (62%; diagnosis based on positive viral nucleic acid test result on throat swab samples), 16 186 as suspected cases (22%; diagnosis based on symptoms and exposures only, no test was performed because testing capacity is insufficient to meet current needs), 10 567 as clinically diagnosed cases (15%; this designation is being used in Hubei Province only; in these cases, no test was performed but diagnosis was made based on symptoms, exposures, and presence of lung imaging features consistent with coronavirus pneumonia), and 889 as asymptomatic cases (1%; diagnosis by positive viral nucleic acid test result but lacking typical symptoms including fever, dry cough, and fatigue).[SUP]1[/SUP]
Box.
[h=4]Key Findings From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Report[/h]
[h=1]Characteristics of and Important Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in ChinaSummary of a Report of 72 314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention[/h]
Zunyou Wu, MD, PhD[SUP]1[/SUP]; Jennifer M. McGoogan, PhD[SUP]1[/SUP]
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA. Published online February 24, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2648
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently published the largest case series to date of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in mainland China (72 314 cases, updated through February 11, 2020).[SUP]1[/SUP] This Viewpoint summarizes key findings from this report and discusses emerging understanding of and lessons from the COVID-19 epidemic.
Epidemiologic Characteristics of the COVID-19 Outbreak
Among a total of 72 314 case records (Box), 44 672 were classified as confirmed cases of COVID-19 (62%; diagnosis based on positive viral nucleic acid test result on throat swab samples), 16 186 as suspected cases (22%; diagnosis based on symptoms and exposures only, no test was performed because testing capacity is insufficient to meet current needs), 10 567 as clinically diagnosed cases (15%; this designation is being used in Hubei Province only; in these cases, no test was performed but diagnosis was made based on symptoms, exposures, and presence of lung imaging features consistent with coronavirus pneumonia), and 889 as asymptomatic cases (1%; diagnosis by positive viral nucleic acid test result but lacking typical symptoms including fever, dry cough, and fatigue).[SUP]1[/SUP]
Box.
[h=4]Key Findings From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Report[/h]
- 72 314 Cases (as of February 11, 2020)
- Confirmed cases: 44 672 (62%)
- Suspected cases: 16 186 (22%)
- Diagnosed cases: 10 567 (15%)
- Asymptomatic cases: 889 (1%)
- Age distribution (N = 44 672)
- ≥80 years: 3% (1408 cases)
- 30-79 years: 87% (38 680 cases)
- 20-29 years: 8% (3619 cases)
- 10-19 years: 1% (549 cases)
- <10 years: 1% (416 cases)
- Spectrum of disease (N = 44 415)
- Mild: 81% (36 160 cases)
- Severe: 14% (6168 cases)
- Critical: 5% (2087 cases)
- Case-fatality rate
- 2.3% (1023 of 44 672 confirmed cases)
- 14.8% in patients aged ≥80 years (208 of 1408)
- 8.0% in patients aged 70-79 years (312 of 3918)
- 49.0% in critical cases (1023 of 2087)
- Health care personnel infected
- 3.8% (1716 of 44 672)
- 63% in Wuhan (1080 of 1716)
- 14.8% cases classified as severe or critical (247 of 1668)
- 5 deaths...