Post-discharge clinical, laboratory and radiographic features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at university hospitals in Japan.

Abstract

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected nearly half million people in Japan. However, information on the prolonged symptoms as well as laboratory and radiographic findings after hospital discharge remains limited.

Methods: We retrospectively collected the symptoms, laboratory test results, and chest imaging results of COVID-19 patients at the time of the hospital admission and the ambulatory visits after discharge at two university hospitals between July and December 2020.

Patients: A total of 126 COVID-19 patients, including of 88 with mild to moderate disease and 38 with severe to critical disease, were included. The time between symptom onset and the first outpatient visit was 46 days (Interquartile range, 39 to 55).

Results: At the ambulatory visits, 36.5% of patients had at least one symptom. The most frequent symptom was shortness of breath (12.8%), followed by cough (11.1%), and fatigue (8.8%). Of 120 patients with post-discharge laboratory test results, 27 patients (22.5%) had abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels, and 35 patients (29.1%) had lymphocytopenia, including 24 and 27 mild and moderate patients. Of 122 patients with post-discharge chest computed tomography (CT) scans, 105 (83.3%) had abnormal findings. This abnormality was found in both mild to moderate and severe patients.

Conclusions: Shortness of breath, abnormal liver function test results and chest CT images often persisted for at least one month after discharge, even when symptoms were mild or moderate during hospitalization.