To identify factors associated with the death for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. All clinical and laboratory parameters were collected prospectively from a cohort of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who were hospitalised to Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, between December 25, 2019 and February 7, 2020. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between each variable and the risk for death of COVID-19 pneumonia patients. A total of 179 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (97 male and 82 female) were included in the present prospective study, of whom 21 died. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age >/=65 years (odd ratio, 3.765; 95% confidence interval, 1.14617.394; p=0.023), preexisting concurrent cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases (2.464; 0.7558.044; p=0.007), CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells /=0.05 ng.mL(-1) (4.077; 1.16614.253; p<0.001) were associated with an increase in risk of mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia. In the sex, age, and comorbid illness-matched case study, CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells /=0.05 ng.mL(-1) remained to be the predictors for high mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia. We identified four risk factors, age >/=65 years, preexisting concurrent cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells /=0.05 ng.mL(-1), especially the latter two factors, were predictors for mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia patients.