Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been discovered in Wuhan and spread rapidly across China and worldwide. Characteristics of infected patients are needed to get insight into the full spectrum of the disease.

Epidemiological and clinical information of 1738 diagnosed patients during February 7-26, 2020 in Wuhan Dongxihu Fangcang Hospital were analyzed. A total of 709 patients were followed up on symptom, mental health, isolation site, and medication after discharge.

There were 852 males and 886 females in the cohort. The average age of the patients was 48.8 y. A total of 79.98% of the patients were from Wuhan, Hubei Province. The most common initial symptoms were fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Among all the patients, 1463 had complications, with respiratory distress as the most common complication. The average duration of hospitalization was 15.95 ± 14.69 d. The most common postdischarge symptom is cough. After discharge, most patients were full of energy and chose hotel as their self-isolation site. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Chinese medicine No.2 prescription is the medication used most commonly by the patients after discharge.

The population is generally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. After receiving aggressive treatment of combined Chinese and Western medicine, most patients had a good prognosis and mental health after discharge.

Here, we examined the cingulum bundle, a long-range white matter tract mediating dorsal limbic connectivity, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus controls. We hypothesised that cingulum bundle microstructure would be altered in ASD, based on evidence implicating abnormal white matter connectivity in this disorder.

DTI data were acquired for 19 ASD participants (IQ ⩾ 70; 7–18 years; mean = 12.4 ± 3.1) and 16 age-matched controls (7–18 years; mean = 12.3 ± 3.6) on a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging system. Deterministic tractography was used to isolate the cingulum bundle. Left and right cingulum bundles were examined for differences in several DTI metrics in ASD children/adolescents versus controls, including: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial, and radial diffusivity.

Significant age × group interaction effects were found for all DTI metrics (mean diffusivity: F1,28 = 9.5, p = 0.005, radial diffusivity: F1,28 = 7.8, p = 0.009, axial diffusivity: F1,28 = 5.2, p = 0.03, FA: F1,28 = 4.4, p = 0.04). Interaction effects were driven by increases in cingulum bundle diffusivity (mean, radial, and axial diffusivity), and decreased FA, in younger ASD participants within our sample versus controls.

Our results point to immature microstructural organisation of the cingulum bundle in ASD, particularly during the early years of life, with implications for limbic network synchronisation and complex socio-emotional performance.