Clinical Characteristics of Covid-19 in China

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the case definition for surveillance of returning travelers requires that they need to present with fever and at least one respiratory symptom to be considered as having suspected cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).¹ In their article regarding 1099 patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 at hospitals across China during the first 2 months of the pandemic, Guan et al. (Feb. 28 online publication, available at NEJM.org)² present compelling data supporting the need for a reassessment of these criteria. The authors found that only 43.8% of the patients presented with fever on admission, although fever developed in 88.7% during hospitalization. That means that if those travelers were returning from affected areas, more than half would not be suspected of having Covid-19, which would result in undetected patients who can spread the virus. This issue may be particularly relevant in low-income countries with less structured health care systems, which could not provide adequate follow-up of these travelers.