BACKGROUND: The clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) patients outside the epicenter of Hubei province are less understood. METHODS: We analyzed the epidemiological and clinical features of all COVID-2019 cases in the only referral hospital in Shenzhen city, China from January 11, 2020 to February 6, 2020 and followed until March 6, 2020. RESULTS: Among the 298 confirmed cases, 233 (81.5%) had been to Hubei while 42 (14%) did not have a clear travel history. Only 192(64.4%) cases had a fever as the initial symptom. Compared to the non-severe cases, severe cases were associated with older age, those with underlying diseases, as well as higher levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Slower clearance of the virus was associated with a higher risk of progression to critical condition. As of March 6, 2020, 268 (89.9%) patients were discharged and the overall case fatality ratio was 1.0%. CONCLUSIONS: In a designated hospital outside Hubei Province, COVID-2019 patients could be effectively managed by properly using the existing hospital system. Mortality may be lowered when cases are relatively mild and there are sufficient medical resources to care and treat the disease.
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