• Yalei Shang, Chuanjun Xu, Fengli Jiang, Renjun Huang, Yonggang Li, Ying Zhou, Feng Xu, and Hui Dai.
• Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou city, Jiangsu province 215000, PR China.
• Int. J. Infect. Dis. 2020 Jul 1; 96: 157-162.

ObjectiveThe study was aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and evaluate the dynamic changes of chest CT features in the first three weeks in the common type fo COVID-19 pneumonia patients in Jiangsu Province.Methods307 patients infected SARS-CoV-2 classified as common type were enrolled in the study. 628 chest CT scans were divided into three groups based on the time interval between symptoms and chest CT scan. The clinical characteristics were descriptively analyzed.The chest CT features were quantitatively evaluated. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the differences in three groups and between men and women. Spearman rank correlation was used to test the association between the arterial blood gas(ABG) analysis results and chest CT scores.ResultsFever (69.1%) and cough (62.8%) were common symptoms. 111(36.2%) patients were anorexia. GGO was the most common manifestation of COVID-19 pneumonia, which could be followed by consolidation and fibrosis. Lower lobe or subpleural region was the most common distribution form of lesion. More lung lobes were involved in the third week. Total chest CT scores in the second week were higher than the first week. Fibrosis Scores increased in the second and third week. Total CT score, GGO score and fibrosis score of male patients were significantly higher than female in the second week. Male patients had higher consolidation score and fibrosis score than female in the third week. Total CT score and GGO score had weak to moderate correlation with arterial blood gas indices.ConclusionChanges in chest CT were difficult to assess quantitatively in the first third weeks. Male patients recovered slower than female in the second week. Although CT score had correlations with arterial blood gas indices, long-term follow-up of pulmonary function test is needed to determine the recovery of lung.Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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