Abstract: Abstract：Objective To compare the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of confirmed and excluded patients of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Henan province. Methods All excluded and confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Henan province up to February 20, 2020 were selected in this study. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed according to infectious disease report cards and individual case investigations. Results A total of 5 635 COVID-19 cases were collected in Henan province, including 1 267 confirmed cases and 4 368 suspected excluded cases. The median age of confirmed cases (45 years) was greater than the median age of excluded cases (34 years, Z=14.857, P＜ 0.01). The proportions of sojourning in Wuhan and its surrounding areas, contacting with cases or asymptomatic cases, contacting with people from Wuhan and surrounding areas and involving in a clustered epidemic were higher in confirmed cases than those in excluded cases (P＜0.01), while the proportion of unknown exposures was lower in confirmed cases than that in excluded cases (P＜0.01). The proportion of severe cases in confirmed and excluded cases were 11.6% and 2.6% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=149.938, P＜0.01). The percentages of chronic underlying diseases, fever, dry cough, fatigue, chest tightness, diarrhea, normal or decreased white blood cells and lymphocytes, and chest CT abnormalities were higher in confirmed cases than those in excluded cases (P＜0.01). Conclusion In addition to pathogen test results, epidemiologic history and clinical presentation should be taken into account in the diagnosis and exclusion of COVID-19

Key words: pneumonia, viral, coronavirus disease 2019, excluded cases, confirmed cases, Henan