CT manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 in patients outside Wuhan: with a history of exposure to Wuhan vs. with second-generation infection

Abstract Objective: To explore discrepancy in CT manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients outside Wuhan between cases with a history of exposure to Wuhan and with the second-generation infection.Methods: Twenty-two patients with confirmed COVID-19 from two hospitals in Nanchong outside Wuhan were enrolled. All patients underwent initial and follow-up computed tomography after admission, and were divided into two groups. Group A and B were composed of 15 patients with a history of exposure to Wuhan and 7 with the second-generation infection in Nanchong, respectively. Initial CT features including extent score and density score between groups were statistically compared.Results: All patients in group A had abnormal CT findings while 3 of 7 patients in group B had. Patients with abnormal CT findings were more frequent in group A than in group B (P < 0.05). On initial CT, pure ground glass opacity (GGO), and GGO with consolidation and/or other abnormalities were found in 20% (3/15) and 80% (12/15) patients in group A, respectively, while 1 (14.3%), 2 (28.6%) and 4 (57.1%) had pure GGO, GGO with focal consolidation, and normal CT appearances in Group B, respectively. Patients with extent and density scores of ≥5 were more frequent in group A than in group B (Ps < 0.01). Additionally, 3 of 4 (75%) patients with normal initial CT findings had focal pure GGO lesions on follow-up CT.Conclusion: The COVID-19 in patients with a history of exposure to Wuhan can be severer than with the second-generation infection on CT.