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. 2024 Feb 21;22:191. doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-04979-1

Table 3.

Characteristics of patients with FSS ≥ 4 and per cluster that included ≥ 10 patients

Mean ± SD, median (25th–75th percentiles) or n (%)
FSS ≥ 4 (n = 66) Cluster 19 (n = 12) Cluster 37 (n = 24)
Age, in years 53.7 ± 6.5 52.7 ± 6.5 54.3 ± 7.3
Gender, male 31 (47.0) 3 (25.0) 13 (54.2)
BMI, in kg/m2 30.9 ± 6.0 33.9 ± 5.9 30.0 ± 6.3
Ethnicity
 Caucasian/white 50/63 (79.4) 9 (75.0) 19/22 (86.4)
 Other 13/63 (20.6) 3 (24.9) 3/22 (13.5)
Level of educationa
 Low 24 (36.4) 4 (33.3) 6/23 (26.1)
 Medium 30 (45.5) 7 (58.3) 14/23 (60.9)
 High 4 (6.1) 1 (8.3) 3/23 (13.0)
Current work status
 On disability 19/63 (30.2) 5 (41.7) 8 (33.3)
 Student 2/63 (3.2) 0 (0.0) 1 (4.2)
 Homemaker 10/63 (15.9) 4 (33.3) 3 (12.5)
 Retired 1/63 (1.6) 0 (0.0) 1 (4.2)
 Unemployed 3/63 (4.8) 1 (8.3) 2 (8.3)
 Working part-time 18/63 (28.6) 5 (41.7) 2 (8.3)
 Working full-time 21/63 (33.3) 2 (16.7) 10 (41.7)
Marital status
 Married/living together 44/59 (74.6) 9 (75.0) 17/23 (73.9)
 Living alone 9/59 (15.3) 3 (25.0) 4/23 (17.4)
 Widow(er)/divorced 6/59 (10.2) 0 (0.0) 2/23 (8.7)
Smoking status
 Current 4 (6.1) 0 (0.0) 3 (12.5)
 Ex-smoker 34 (51.5) 8 (66.7) 11 (45.8)
 Never smoker 28 (42.4) 4 (33.3) 10 (41.7)
 At least one comorbidityb 52 (64.6) 6 (50.0) 17 (70.8)
Comorbidities
 Heart failure 4 (6.1) 0 (0.0) 2 (8.3)
 Renal failure 4 (6.1) 0 (0.0) 3 (12.5)
 Diabetes 8 (12.1) 0 (0.0) 4 (16.7)
 COPD 5 (7.6) 0 (0.0) 2 (8.3)
 Asthma 13 (19.7) 2 (16.7) 5 (20.8)
 CVD 16 (24.2) 2 (16.7) 6 (25.0)
 Hospitalized 56 (84.9) 10 (83.3) 22 (91.7)
 Days of hospitalization 7.0 (3.0, 12.0) 7.0 (4.5, 8.0) 8.0 (6.0, 16.0)
 ICU 15 (22.7) 1 (8.3) 9 (37.5)
COVID-19 severityc
 Mild 10 (15.2) 2 (16.7) 2 (8.3)
 Moderate 42 (63.6) 9 (75.0) 14 (58.3)
 Severe 14 (21.2) 1 (8.3) 8 (33.3)
FSS score* 5.88 ± 0.78 6.15 ± 0.55 5.67 ± 0.77

FSS Fatigue Severity Scale, BMI Body Mass Index, COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, CVD cardiovascular disease, ICU Intensive Care Unit

*Differences between the two clusters were statistically significant

a. Low = MBO or high school; medium = HBO; high = University bachelor or master

b. Measured comorbidities are COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, thrombosis, heart failure, renal failure, hepatic disease, diabetes, cancer, rheumatic disease, CVD and neurologic disease

c. According to the WHO definition