Imaging and clinical features of patients with 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review and meta-analysis

J Med Virol. 2020 Sep;92(9):1449-1459. doi: 10.1002/jmv.25822. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Abstract

Background: Currently, the epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has begun to spread worldwide. We aim to explore reliable evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of the COVID-19 by analyzing all the published studies by Chinese scholars on the clinical and imaging features in novel coronavirus pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We searched five medical databases including two Chinese and three English databases for all published articles on COVID-19 since the outbreak. A random-effects model was designed, and the imaging and clinical data from all studies were collected for meta-analysis.

Results: Overall, 31 articles and 46 959 patients were included, including 10 English articles and 21 Chinese articles. The results of meta-analysis showed that the most common clinical manifestations were fever (87.3%; 0.838-0.909), cough (58.1%; 0.502-0.660), dyspnea (38.3%; 0.246-0.520), muscle soreness or fatigue (35.5%; 0.253-0.456), and chest distress (31.2%; -0.024 to 0.648). The main imaging findings were bilateral pneumonia (75.7%; 0.639-0.871) and ground-glass opacification (69.9%; 0.602-0.796). Among the patients, the incidence that required intensive care unit (ICU) was (29.3%; 0.190-0.395), the incidence with acute respiratory distress syndrome was (28.8%; 0.147-0.429), the incidence with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome was (8.5%; -0.008 to 0.179), and the case fatality rate of patients with COVID-19 was (6.8%; 0.044-0.093).

Conclusion: COVID-19 is a new clinical infectious disease that mainly causes bilateral pneumonia and lung function deteriorates rapidly. Nearly a third of patients need to be admitted to the ICU, and patients are likely to present respiratory failure or even death.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia; SARS-CoV-2; clinical features; imaging finding.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / virology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed