Comparison 1. Steroid versus placebo.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Return to normal activities at 1 week	1	36	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.13 [1.23, 21.36]
2 Return to normal activities at 4 weeks	1	36	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.92 [0.17, 4.89]
3 Return to normal activities at 1 week	1	32	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.14 [0.52, 8.81]
4 Sickness absence at 1 week	1	21	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.33 [0.47, 23.47]
5 Relief of sore throat at 12 hours: 1 dose	1	39	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	4.2 [1.08, 16.32]
6 Relief of sore throat at 12 hours: 8‐day course	1	24	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	21.0 [1.94, 227.20]
7 Relief of sore throat at 24 hours	1	40	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.85 [0.78, 10.47]
8 Relief of sore throat at 36 hours	1	24	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	6.0 [1.02, 35.37]
9 Relief of sore throat at 48 hours	1	40	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.0 [0.29, 3.48]
10 Relief of sore throat at 60 hours	1	24	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.53 [0.10, 2.84]
11 Relief of sore throat at 70 hours	1	39	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.8 [0.18, 3.57]
12 Relief of sore throat at 1 week	1	39	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.06, 16.31]
13 Relief of sore throat at 2 weeks	1	35	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.5 [0.34, 6.56]
14 Relief of sore throat at 4 weeks	1	35	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.42 [0.24, 8.26]
15 Fatigue at 1 week	1	44	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.4 [0.12, 1.35]
16 Fatigue at 4 weeks	1	44	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.79 [0.19, 3.24]
17 Anorexia at 1 week	1	29	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.67 [0.14, 3.35]
18 Anorexia at 4 weeks	1	29	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.86 [0.28, 29.56]
19 Swallowing at 1 week	1	32	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.0 [0.31, 12.89]
20 Swallowing at 4 weeks	1	32	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.59 [0.11, 3.20]
21 Pharyngeal secretions at 1 week	1	37	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.30 [0.07, 1.32]
22 Pharyngeal secretions at 4 weeks	1	37	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.09, 5.89]
23 Inability to concentrate at 1 week	1	33	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.48 [0.11, 2.07]
24 Inability to concentrate at 4 weeks	1	33	Odds Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.98 [0.18, 5.28]