Clinical Characteristics of Deceased Patients With COVID-19

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As of 28 February, 2020, more than 2858 people had died of COVID-19, with the highest mortality rate of 4.5% in Wuhan, China. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) infection causes clusters of severe and even fatal pneumonia. Clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 who died have not been fully elucidated yet. Certain patients with COVID-19, particularly those of advanced age and with hypertension, were in a critical condition on admission and progressed rapidly to death within 2 to 3 weeks from disease onset.

SARS-Cov-2 infection can cause both pulmonary and systemic inflammation, leading to multiorgan dysfunction in high-risk populations. In addition to acute respiratory distress syndrome and type I respiratory failure, acute cardiac injury and heart failure may also contribute to the critical illness state associated with high mortality risk.