Table 1.
Clinical and epidemiological features in SARS patients with (n = 31) or without (n = 124) hMPV co-infection
| Characteristics | hMPV+ (%) | hMPV− (%) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (year) | 35.9 ± 14.2 | 36.5 ± 13.3 | NS |
| Male sex | 48.4 | 35.5 | NS |
| Co-existing medical conditionsa | 6.5 | 25.8 | 0.027 |
| Linkageb to SARS index ward X | 77.4 | 48.4 | 0.004 |
| HCWs | 74.2 | 50.8 | 0.019 |
| Fever | 100.0 | 100.0 | NS |
| Chills | 96.0 | 92.0 | NS |
| Myalgia | 87.1 | 87.8 | NS |
| Cough and coryza | 22.6 | 15.9 | NS |
| SOB | 48.4 | 49.2 | NS |
| Diarrhoea | 19.4 | 22.0 | NS |
| Use of supplemental O2 | 45.2 | 46.8 | NS |
| ICU admission | 19.4 | 24.2 | NS |
| Death | 6.4 | 7.3 | NS |
| Initial lymphocyte count, mean ± S.D. (×109 L) | 0.92 ± 0.45 | 0.89 ± 0.38 | NS |
| Nadir lymphocyte count, mean ± S.D. (×109 L) | 0.30 ± 0.23 | 0.31 ± 0.23 | NS |
| Peak LDH, mean ± S.D. (U/L) | 552 ± 918 | 615 ± 2385 | NS |
hMPV: human metapneumovirus; HCW: health-care workers; ICU: intensive care unit; S.D.: standard deviation; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; NS: statistically insignificant.
a
hMPV-infected individuals were mostly young, previously healthy HCWs; whereas those without co-infection consisted of a mixed of in-patients and HCWs.
b
Among the seven hMPV-infected patients who had never visited index ward X, four were linked to the emergency room, and two to different medical wards. The last patient was a deployed nurse who looked after the initial batch of sick health-care workers in a separate cohort ward, and subsequently developed symptoms.