The clinical dynamics of 18 cases of COVID-19 outside of Wuhan, China

Since an outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan and related regions in Hubei province, an increasing number of exported cases have been confirmed in other provinces in China and in multiple countries around the world with substantial morbidity and mortality [1–4]. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern considering rapid increases in numbers of confirmed cases in China and additional countries. As of February 22, 2020, a total of 12 938 patients had been confirmed outside of Wuhan and related regions in Hubei province of China [1]. However, there is limited information about COVID-19 outside of Wuhan [5], and no study has reported the time to RT-PCR conversion and radiological changes after treatment. The novel coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person with infection ranging from mild disease to severe pneumonia and radiological abnormalities on chest CT for most patients improved after RT-PCR conversion.