Objective Fever clinic is the first threshold to prevent and control infectious diseases, based on the summary and analysis on the problems and difficulties in the operation of fever clinics in Wuhan City during epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), operation mechanism of fever clinics as well as prevention and control improvement direction of epidemic in China were evaluated. Methods Daily visit data in all fever clinics in medical institutions in Wuhan were surveyed from January 15, 2020 to March 15, combined with the information related to notification, policy and document about prevention and treatment for COVID-19 epidemic issued by China, Hubei Province and Wuhan, visits and operation in fever clinics in Wuhan during COVID-19 epidemic period was retrospectively reviewed and evaluated. Results During the survey period, a total of 76 secondary and above medical institutions in Wuhan opened fever clinics to receive and cure fever patients. From January 15 to March 15, 2020, the average daily number of visits in fever clinics in Wuhan was 6 070 person-time. The number of visits in fever clinics was 1 625 person-time on January 15 and peaked on January 24 (14 486 person-time). From January 30 to February 6, the number of visits in fever clinics in Wuhan was almost saturated. Since February 6, the number of visits showed a gradual downward trend, and dropped to 585 person-time on March 15. Except Hongshan Region, the average daily numbers of visits in the other 6 administrative regions in downtown area of Wuhan were all more than 1 000, the number of visits in fever clinics in Wuchang Region was generally higher than other regions. Conclusion During the epidemic period, fever clinics in Wuhan failed to give full play to the role of early warning, and there were problems in equipment of personnel, materials and facilities. Medical institutions should optimize the construction and management of fever clinics from the following four aspects: establishing a public health early warning feedback mechanism, building scientific one-stop fever clinic, establishing medical emergency supply guarantee system and setting up compound public health emergency team, so as to formulate scientific and effective epidemic prevention and control strategies.