Clinical characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia in
China: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Abstract
Background: As of March 31, 2020, about 82,545 COVID-19-infected
patients in China have been confirmed. Several observational studies
have reported clinical characteristics of pneumonia caused by COVID-19
in China. But there are doubts about the clinical significance of
differences reported in the different studies. The objective of this
paper is to meta-analyze all available data from observational studies
in China to enable an objective reappraisal of the clinical
characteristics. Methods: PubMed, CNKI, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library
were searched. Observational studies were included if they reported
information on clinical characteristics of COVID-19-infected pneumonia.
Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test, with a value ≥
50% indicating a substantial level of heterogeneity. Results: Pooled
results exhibited that the proportion of male (58%) was higher in
patients with COVID-19-infected pneumonia. Fever (89%), cough (74%),
fatigue (44%), and shortness of breath (31%) were the common clinical
manifestations. Cardiovascular disease (8%), endocrine system disease
(9%), and digestive system disease (5%) were the common comorbidities.
Moreover, hypertension (29%), endocrine system disease (16%), and
cardiovascular disease (8%) were the most common comorbidities in
severe patients. Acute cardiac injury (5%), ARDS (11%), shock (3%),
and AKI (2%) were the common complications. Conclusions: Men may be
more susceptible to COVID-19. The people with hypertension and endocrine
system disease are more likely to develop severe pneumonia. The most
common symptoms are fever and cough. The heart and kidneys may be also
important organs for the COVID-19 to attack in addition to the lungs.
Most patients have bilateral imaging abnormalities.