Comparison of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with and without Wuhan exposure

Background A novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first identified in Wuhan, China, has been rapidly spreading around the world. This study investigates the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Zhejiang Province who did or did not have a history of Wuhan exposure. Methods We collected data from medical records of confirmed COVID-19 patients in Zhejiang Province from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7, 2020 and analyzed epidemiological, clinical, and treatment data of those with and without recorded recent exposure in Wuhan. Results Patients in the control group were older than those in the exposure group ((48.19±16.13) years vs. (43.47±13.12) years, P <0.001), and more were over 65 years old (15.95% control vs. 5.60% exposure, P <0.001). The rate of clustered onset was also significantly higher in the control group than in the exposure group (31.39% vs. 18.66%, P <0.001). The symptom of a sore throat in patients in the exposure group was significantly higher than that in the control group (17.30% vs. 10.89%, P =0.01); however, headache in the exposure group was significantly lower than that in the control group (6.87% vs. 12.15%, P =0.015). More patients in the exposure group had a significantly lower level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in any degree of COVID-19 including mild, severe, and critical between the two groups. Conclusions From the perspective of epidemiological and clinical characteristics, there was no significant difference between COVID-19 patients with and without Wuhan exposure history.