IMPORTANCE Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease that was first reported in Wuhan, China, and has subsequently spread worldwide. Risk factors for the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 pneumonia have not yet been well delineated.OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or died.

An ongoing outbreak of 2019‐nCoV pneumonia was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China at the end of 2019. With the spread of the new coronavirus accelerating, person‐to‐person transmission in family homes or hospitals, and intercity spread of 2019‐nCoV occurred. At least 40,261 cases confirmed, 23,589 cases suspected, 909 cases death and 3444 cases cured in China and worldwide 24 countries confirmed 383 cases being diagnosed, 1 case death in February 10th, 2020. At present, the mortality of 2019‐nCoV in China is 2.3%, compared with 9.6% of SARS and 34.4% of MERS reported by WHO. It seems the new virus is not as fatal as many people thought. Chinese authorities improved surveillance network, made the laboratory be able to recognize the outbreak within a few weeks and announced the virus genome that provide efficient epidemiological control. More comprehensive information is required to understand 2019‐nCoV feature, the epidemiology of origin and spreading, and the clinical phenomina. According to the current status, blocking transmission, isolation, protection, and alternative medication are the urgent management strategies against 2019‐nCoV.

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Few data are available on the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in critically ill COVID-19 with thrombosis prophylaxis. This study retrospectively included 88 patients in the ICU with critically ill COVID-19 at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, China. All patients underwent compression ultrasonography for identifying DVT. Firth logistic regression was used to examine the association of DVT with sex, age, hypoalbuminemia, D-dimer, and SOFA score. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age and SOFA score of 88 patients were 63 (55-71) years old and 5 (4-6), respectively. Despite all patients receiving guideline-recommended low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis, the incidence of DVT was 46% (95% CI 35-56%). Proximal DVT was recognized in 9% (95% CI 3-15%) of the patients, while 46% (95% CI 35-56%) of patients had distal DVT. All of the proximal DVT combined with distal DVT. Risk factors of DVT extension occurred in all distal DVT patients. As Padua score ≥ 4 or IMPROVE score ≥ 2, 53% and 46% of patients had DVT, respectively. Mortality was higher in patients with acute DVT (30%) compared with non-DVT (17%), but did not reach statistical significance. Hypoalbuminemia (odds ratio [OR], 0.17; 95% CI 0.06-0.05, P = 0.001), higher SOFA score (OR per IQR, 2.07; 95% CI 1.38-3.39, P = 0.001), and elevated D-dimer (OR per IQR, 1.04; 95% CI 1.03-1.84, P = 0.029) were significant DVT risk factors in multivariable analyses. High incidence of DVT was identified in patients with critically ill COVID-19, despite the use of guideline-recommended pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis. The presence of hypoalbuminemia, higher SOFA score, and elevated D-dimer were significantly independent risk factors of DVT. More effective VTE prevention and management strategies may need to be addressed. Keywords Deep vein thrombosis • Hypoalbuminemia • D-dimer • SOFA score • Coronavirus Highlights • The incidence of DVT in patients with critically ill COVID-19 was 46% despite the use of guideline-recommended thromboprophylaxis. • The presence of hypoalbuminemia, SOFA score, and elevated D-dimer were predictors of DVT. • More effective VTE prevention strategies are necessary for patients with critically ill COVID-19.

Highlights Patients in the experimental group received intravenous ribavirin versus supportive care only in the control group. Ribavirin was not associated with reduced negative conversion time of SARS-CoV-2 PCR test compared with the control group. Ribavirin did not reduce the mortality rate compared with the control group.

Importance: Heart injury can be easily induced by viral infection such as adenovirus and enterovirus. However, whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes heart injury and hereby impacts mortality has not yet been fully evaluated. Objective: To explore whether heart injury occurs in COVID-19 on admission and hereby aggravates mortality later. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-center retrospective cohort study including 188 COVID-19 patients admitted from December 25, 2019 to January 27, 2020 in Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, China; follow up was completed on February 11, 2020. Exposures: High levels of heart injury indicators on admission (hs-TNI; CK; CK-MB; LDH; α-HBDH). Main Outcomes and Measures: Mortality in hospital and days from admission to mortality (survival days). Results: Of 188 patients with COVID-19, the mean age was 51.9 years (standard deviation: 14.26; range: 21~83 years) and 119 (63.3%) were male. Increased hs-TnI levels on admission tended to occur in older patients and patients with comorbidity (especially hypertension). High hs-TnI on admission (≥ 6.126 pg/mL), even within the clinical normal range (0~28 pg/mL), already can be associated with higher mortality. High hs-TnI was associated with increased inflammatory levels (neutrophils, IL-6, CRP, and PCT) and decreased immune levels (lymphocytes, monocytes, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells). CK was not associated with mortality. Increased CK-MB levels tended to occur in male patients and patients with current smoking. High CK-MB on admission was associated with higher mortality. High CK-MB was associated with increased inflammatory levels and decreased lymphocytes. Increased LDH and α-HBDH levels tended to occur in older patients and patients with hypertension. Both high LDH and α-HBDH on admission were associated with higher mortality. Both high LDH and α-HBDH were associated with increased inflammatory levels and decreased immune levels. hs-TNI level on admission was negatively correlated with survival days (r= -0.42, 95% CI= -0.64~-0.12, P=0.005). LDH level on admission was negatively correlated with survival days (r= -0.35, 95% CI= -0.59~-0.05, P=0.022). Conclusions and Relevance: Heart injury signs arise in COVID-19, especially in older patients, patients with hypertension and male patients with current smoking. COVID-19 virus might attack heart via inducing inflammatory storm. High levels of heart injury indicators on admission are associated with higher mortality and shorter survival days. COVID-19 patients with signs of heart injury on admission must be early identified and carefully managed by cardiologists, because COVID-19 is never just confined to respiratory injury.

The NLR is potentially a predictive prognostic biomarker in ARDS patients.

Background The impact of corticosteroid therapy on outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly controversial. We aimed to compare the risk of death between COVID-19-related ARDS patients with corticosteroid treatment and those without. Methods In this single-center retrospective observational study, patients with ARDS caused by COVID-19 between January 20, 2020, and February 24, 2020, were enrolled. The primary outcome was 60-day in-hospital death. The exposure was prescribed systemic corticosteroids or not. Time-dependent Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 60-day in-hospital mortality. Results A total of 382 patients [60.7 ± 14.1 years old (mean ± SD), 61.3% males] were analyzed. The median of sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was 2.0 (IQR 2.0–3.0). Of these cases, 94 (24.6%) patients had invasive mechanical ventilation. The number of patients received systemic corticosteroids was 226 (59.2%), and 156 (40.8%) received standard treatment. The maximum dose of corticosteroids was 80.0 (IQR 40.0–80.0) mg equivalent methylprednisolone per day, and duration of corticosteroid treatment was 7.0 (4.0–12.0) days in total. In Cox regression analysis using corticosteroid treatment as a time-varying variable, corticosteroid treatment was associated with a significant reduction in risk of in-hospital death within 60 days after adjusting for age, sex, SOFA score at hospital admission, propensity score of corticosteroid treatment, comorbidities, antiviral treatment, and respiratory supports (HR 0.42; 95% CI 0.21, 0.85; p = 0.0160). Corticosteroids were not associated with delayed viral RNA clearance in our cohort. Conclusion In this clinical practice setting, low-dose corticosteroid treatment was associated with reduced risk of in-hospital death within 60 days in COVID-19 patients who developed ARDS.