Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide since December 2019. This retrospective study determined the characteristics and prognostic factors of COVID-19 patients, focusing on inpatients who died or were discharged between 30 December 2019 and 29 February 2020 at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Patients’ medical histories, comorbidities, symptoms, signs, laboratory findings, computed tomography (CT) findings, and clinical management were recorded. All 293 patients were divided into the nonsurviving (
n
=
116
) and surviving (
n
=
177
) groups. The median age was older in the nonsurviving group than in the surviving group; most patients were older than 65 years in the nonsurviving group. The incidence rates of lymphopenia, neutrophilia, and leukocytosis were significantly higher in the nonsurviving group than in the surviving group. More patients in the nonsurviving group had increased levels of nonspecific infection markers, abnormal liver and kidney function, cardiac injury, and blood coagulation abnormalities on admission. Immune and inflammatory responses were more severely disturbed in the nonsurviving group than in the surviving group. The incidence rates of complications during hospitalization were higher in the nonsurviving group than in the surviving group. Cox regression results also showed that older age, symptoms of dyspnea, comorbidities, and complications were all predictors of death. Close monitoring and timely treatment are needed for high-risk COVID-19 patients.