Lung ultrasonography findings of coronavirus disease 2019 patients: Comparison between primary and secondary regions of China

Abstract

BackgroundAn unexplained pneumonia occurred in Wuhan, China in December 2019, later identified and named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This study aimed to compare the ultrasonographic features of the lung between patients with COVID‐19 in Wuhan (the primary region) and those in Beijing (the secondary region) and to find the value of applying ultrasound in COVID‐19.MethodsA total of 248 COVID‐19 cases were collected, including long‐term residents in Wuhan (138), those who had a short‐term stay in Wuhan (72), and those who had never visited Wuhan (38). Ultrasound examination was performed daily; the highest lung ultrasound score (LUS) was the first comparison point, while the LUS of the fifth day thereafter was the second comparison point. The differences between overall treatment and ultrasonography of left and right lungs among groups were compared.ResultsThe severity decreased significantly after treatment. The scores of the groups with long‐term residence and short‐term stay in Wuhan were higher than those of the group that had never been to Wuhan.ConclusionUltrasonography is effective for dynamic monitoring of COVID‐19. The ultrasonographic features of patients in the Wuhan area indicated relatively severe disease. Thus, Wuhan was the main affected area of china.