Abstract: Objective To analyze characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） epidemic in Guangzhou, so as to provide scientific evidence for prevention and control practice. Methods Epidemiological investigation was carried out on the confirmed COVID-19 patients and asymptomatic cases in Guangzhou. The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the cases were described by descriptive epidemiological method, and factors related to the source of infection and disease severity were determined. Results As of March 11, 2020, a total of 361 COVID-19 cases were reported in Guangzhou, including 347 confirmed cases （96.1%） and 14 cases of asymptomatic infection. The cases were mainly imported from areas outside Guangzhou （73.2%） and 80.3% of them were imported from Hubei Province （204/254）. Of the confirmed cases, 63.7% were associated with cluster outbreaks, of which 85.1% were household clusters; 93.9% developed mild symptoms or common pneumonia. The most common symptom was fever （78.1%）, followed by dry cough （45.9%）. Only one death was reported. Factors including male, elder age-group, retirees, self-reported having a history of cardiovascular disease or having a history of admission to medical institutions 14 days prior to disease onset were associated with serious cases（P<0.05 or P<0.01）. Conclusion The COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou were mainly imported from Hubei Province, local infections occurred in some areas, and many were household clusters, but no community transmission was observed.

Key words: COVID-19, Epidemiological characteristics, Emerging infectious disease