Clinical Experience and Lessons of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Early in the Pandemic at a Public Regional Core Hospital

Abstract

　　Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly in Japan. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical experience of our COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic and lessons from our experience. An outpatient fever clinic was established on April 7. Admission of COVID-19 patients was started on July 23. Between April 7 and September 30, there were 364 walk-in outpatients and emergency patients with fever. Polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA or COVID-19 antigen test were performed in all patients, and all results were negative. Twenty patients with COVID-19 were admitted to a newly established dedicated COVID-19 ward. They were discharged well. There were no cases of nosocomial infection at our hospital. Length of hospitalization was correlated with serum ferritin level at admission, serum CRP level at admission, and age. More than half the patients experienced psychological stress, and COVID-19 specialized nurses experienced some stress. It is essential to set up the medical system for COVID-19 according to the trends of the disease. Creation of our original database and our “problem notebook” were useful for treatment and care of COVID-19 patients as well as for mental care of nurses.