Procedures
Clinical characteristics and outcomes data were obtained with
standardized data collection forms from patients’ medical records.
Information recorded included demographic data, medical history,
underlying comorbidities, symptoms, laboratory findings, chest computed
tomographic (CT) scans, treatment measures and outcomes. The durations
from onset of COVID-19 to hospital admission were recorded. The data
were reviewed by a trained team of physicians. Acute kidney injury was
identified according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes
definition3. Acute liver
injury, defined as either alanine aminotransferase or aspartate
aminotransferase greater than three times the upper limit of
normal4. Acute
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was diagnosed according to the
Berlin Definition5.
Laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection was done at Renmin
Hospital. Nasopharyngeal swabs specimens from the upper respiratory
tract that were obtained from all patients at admission were maintained
in viral transport medium. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by
real-time RT-PCR using the same protocol as described
previously6.All patients
were given chest CT examinations.