Clinical features of familial clustering in patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China

• Published in: Virus research Vol. 286; p. 198043
• Main Authors: Li, Jinzhong, Gong, Xiaobing, Wang, Zhigang, Chen, Renzhou, Li, Taoyuan, Zeng, Dongyu, Li, Minran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-09-2020
• Subjects: 2019 Coronavirus disease; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Betacoronavirus - physiology; China; Cluster Analysis; Cluster-onset families; Comorbidity; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Disease - mortality; Coronary Disease - physiopathology; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - mortality; Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; COVID-19; Diabetes Mellitus - diagnosis; Diabetes Mellitus - mortality; Diabetes Mellitus - physiopathology; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - mortality; Hypertension - physiopathology; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocytes - pathology; Lymphocytes - virology; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils - pathology; Neutrophils - virology; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - mortality; Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; SARS-Coronavirus-2; SARS-CoV-2; Severity of Illness Index; Solitary-onset families; Survival Analysis; China; Solitary-onset families; SARS-Coronavirus-2; Cluster-onset families; 2019 Coronavirus disease
• ISSN: 0168-1702; 1872-7492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198043

•In the study, we compared clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases between cluster-onset families (COFs) and solitary-onset families (SOFs).•Patients with exposure to respiratory droplets and close contact, advanced age, and comorbidities were more likely to develop COVID-19 in COFs.•Advanced age and elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were risk factors for death in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in COFs.
An epidemic caused by SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has appeared in Wuhan City in December 2019. The disease has shown a "clustering epidemic" pattern, and family-clustered onset has been the main characteristic. We collected data about 130 cases from 35 cluster-onset families (COFs) and 41 cases from 16 solitary-onset families (SOFs). The incidence of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in COFs was significantly higher than that of SOFs. Our study also showed that patients with exposure to high-risk factors (respiratory droplets and close contact), advanced age, and comorbidities were more likely to develop COVID-19 in the COFs. In addition, advanced age and elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were risk factors for death in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the COFs.