TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of randomly assigned participants
|
n (%) or median (IQR) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | No vitamin D | Zinc | No zinc | |
| N | 90 | 91 | 92 | 89 |
| Hospital, n (%) | ||||
| KEM | 72 (80.0) | 73 (80.2) | 75 (81.5) | 70 (78.7) |
| Saifee | 18 (20.0) | 18 (19.8) | 17 (18.5) | 19 (21.3) |
| Women, n (%) | 43 (47.8) | 45 (49.5) | 45 (48.9) | 43 (48.3) |
| Age, y, n (%) | ||||
| 18–29 | 20 (22.2) | 10 (11.0) | 16 (17.4) | 14 (15.7) |
| 30–44 | 23 (25.6) | 32 (35.2) | 19 (20.7) | 36 (40.4) |
| 45–59 | 28 (31.1) | 23 (25.3) | 25 (27.2) | 26 (29.2) |
| 60+ | 19 (21.1) | 26 (28.6) | 32 (34.8) | 13 (14.6) |
| Education | ||||
| Illiterate, no formal, primary | 8 (8.9) | 7 (7.7) | 8 (8.7) | 7 (7.9) |
| Secondary | 23 (25.6) | 31 (34.1) | 31 (33.7) | 23 (25.8) |
| Graduate | 34 (37.8) | 31 (34.1) | 30 (32.6) | 35 (39.3) |
| Postgraduate | 24 (26.7) | 21 (23.1) | 21 (22.8) | 24 (7.0) |
| Missing | 1 (1.1) | 1 (1.1) | 2 (2.2) | 0 (0.0) |
| BMI, n (%) | ||||
| <18.5 | 4 (4.4) | 2 (2.2) | 2 (2.2) | 4 (4.5) |
| 18.5–24.9 | 26 (28.9) | 37 (40.7) | 38 (41.3) | 25 (28.1) |
| 25–29.9 | 32 (35.6) | 24 (26.4) | 24 (26.1) | 32 (36.0) |
| 30+ | 28 (31.1) | 28 (30.8) | 28 (30.4) | 28 (31.5) |
| Pre-existing conditions, n (%) | ||||
| Diabetes | 12 (13.3) | 26 (28.6) | 21 (22.8) | 17 (19.1) |
| Hypertension | 16 (17.8) | 29 (31.9) | 26 (28.3) | 19 (21.3) |
| Heart disease | 6 (6.7) | 8 (8.8) | 5 (5.4) | 9 (10.1) |
| Asthma | 5 (5.6) | 2 (2.2) | 4 (4.3) | 3 (3.4) |
| Other conditions | 3 (3.3) | 6 (6.6) | 6 (6.5) | 3 (3.4) |
| Any pre-existing condition, n (%) | 29 (32.2) | 43 (47.3) | 38 (41.3) | 34 (38.2) |
| Use of medications for COVID-19, n (%) | ||||
| Favipiravir | 2 (2.2) | 1 (1.1) | 2 (2.2) | 1 (1.1) |
| Remdesivir | 14 (15.6) | 8 (8.8) | 13 (14.1) | 9 (10.1) |
| Dexamethasone | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Antibody treatment | 3 (3.3) | 5 (5.5) | 4 (4.3) | 4 (4.5) |
| Molnupiravir | 3 (3.3) | 2 (2.2) | 2 (2.2) | 3 (3.4) |
| Anticoagulants | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Other medications | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) |
| Use of supplements at baseline, n (%) | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) |
| Inpatients, n (%) | 73 (81.1) | 75 (82.4) | 73 (79.3) | 75 (84.3) |
| Number of days with symptoms, median (IQR) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (2–4) | 2 (2–4) |
| Vaccination status at baseline, n (%) | ||||
| No vaccination | 16 (17.8) | 20 (22.0) | 16 (17.4) | 20 (22.5) |
| 1 dose | 12 (13.3) | 12 (13.2) | 13 (14.1) | 11 (12.4) |
| 2 or 3 doses | 44 (48.9) | 50 (55.0) | 47 (51.1) | 47 (52.8) |
| Missing | 18 (20.0) | 9 (9.9) | 16 (17.4) | 11 (12.4) |
| Days since last vaccination at baseline, n (%) available | 56 (62.2) | 62 (68.1) | 60 (65.2) | 58 (65.2) |
| Median (IQR) days since the last vaccination | 149.5 (63.5–231.5) | 120.5 (45–205) | 136 (50–216) | 120.5 (56–203) |
| >30 d since the last vaccine dose at baseline | 49 (87.5) | 52 (83.8) | 53 (88.3) | 48 (82.8) |
| Received vaccine dose during follow-up, n (%) | ||||
| Yes | 9 (12.5) | 13 (15.9) | 9 (11.8) | 13 (16.7) |
| No | 63 (67.5) | 69 (74.2) | 67 (70.8) | 65 (70.9) |
| Missing | 18 (20.0) | 9 (9.9) | 16 (17.4) | 11 (12.4) |
| Vaccine type, n (%) | ||||
| Covishield (AstraZeneca) | 60 (66.7) | 71 (78.2) | 64 (69.6) | 67 (75.3) |
| Covaxin (Bharat Biotech) | 9 (10.0) | 9 (9.9) | 9 (9.8) | 9 (10.1) |
| Missing | 21 (23.3) | 11 (12.1) | 19 (20.7) | 13 (14.6) |
| COVID-19 wave, n (%) | ||||
| Wave 2 | 58 (64.4) | 62 (68.1) | 59 (64.1) | 61 (68.5) |
| Wave 3 | 32 (35.6) | 29 (31.9) | 33 (35.9) | 28 (31.5) |
| Days between baseline and endline contact, n (%) available | 80 (88.9) | 84 (92.3) | 81 (88.0) | 83 (93.3) |
| Median (IQR) days between baseline and endline | 86.5 (69.5–135) | 97.5 (73.5–136.5) | 94 (71–137) | 94 (70–133) |
Other conditions: neurologic conditions, endocrine disorders, chronic renal disease, prior gestational diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV, reproductive conditions, and alcohol use disorder. Other COVID-19 medications: ibuprofen+paracetamol.
No participants used tocilizumab or hydroxychloroquine as treatment for COVID-19.Wave 2 spanned from the beginning of the study (April 2021) to December 15th, 2021. Wave 3 spanned from December 16th until the end of enrolment (the first participant enrolled in Wave 3 was on December 21st, 2021).
BMI, body mass index; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; IQR, interquartile range; KEM, King Edward Memorial.