ObjectiveBy summarizing the clinical characteristics of perioperative patients with cross infection of novel coronavirus in thoracic surgery ward, to guide the prevention and treatment of nosocomial infection during the anti-epidemic period.MethodsThe clinical data of 451 patients with chest diseases in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 1st to 24th, 2020 were analyzed and followed up. There were 245 surgical patients and 206 non-surgical patients.ResultsIn the department, 7 patients (7/451, 1.55%) were infected with the novel coronavirus and all of them were surgical patients, whose preoperative imaging data did not reveal the imaging changes of novel coronavirus. There were 5 males and 2 females, aged 56 to 68 years. The patients with old age, smoking, surgery, coronary heart disease, chronic liver disease and tumor history were more susceptible to infection. From the spatial distribution of patient beds, it was found that the distance among infected patients was greater than 1 m, and no cross infection was found in the other patients of the same ward. During follow-up, two family members of noninfected patients were found to be infected one week after discharge. However, there was no overlap of spatiotemporal distribution between the family members and the infected patients during the hospitalization period.ConclusionThe novel coronavirus pneumonia rate in the department of thoracic surgery is low, which may be opportunistic infection. At the same time, a good control and prevention of epidemic disease can reduce the occurrence of cross infection in the department of thoracic surgery.