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. 2020 May 28;54:60. doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054002481

Table. Summary of risk factors associated with covid-19 severity and evaluation of reporting consistency.

RISK FACTORS Consistency computation for each factor Studies not reporting p values (n) Total (p < 0.05) - total (p > 0.05) Results of (p < 0.05) multivariate statistics Consistency Heterogeneity
All studies (n) with p < 0.05 for differences non-severe vs CSF % of p < 0.05 studies supporting a value direction or the presence of the risk factor Studies p > 0.05 (n)

  • ●●● High

  • ●●○ Medium

  • ●○○ Low

  • hc# (Total - hc#/total)

  • hc-statistic hc-definition, unit
Age

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Ji et al.21 (NA)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

 10

  • Liu et al.10 ≥ 60: OR 8.5 95% CI 1.6 - 44.8

  • Caramelo et al.12 50-59: OR 6.7 95% CI 2.9 - 15.2

  • ≥ 80: OR 86.6 95% CI 32.6 - 202.4

  • Zhou et al.15 NA: OR 1.1 95% CI 1.0 - 1.2

 ●●●

  • 12 (5/17) = 29%

  • Median (IQR) Age, years
C- reactive protein

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 6

  • Liu et al.10 > 8.2 mg/L: OR 10.5 95% CI 1.2 - 34.7

 ●●●

  • 6 (2/8) = 25%

  • Median (IQR) C-reactive protein, mg/L
D- Dimer

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 6

  • Zhou et al.15 > 1 μg/mL: OR 18.42 95% CI 2.6 - 128.5

 ●●●

  • 7 (2/9) = 22%

  • Median (IQR) D-dimer, μg/mL
Albumin

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 5

  • Liu et al.10 < 40 g/L: OR 7.4 95% CI 1.1 - 50.0

 ●●●

  • 4 (1/5) = 20%

  • Median (IQR) Albumin, g/L
Body temperature

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 75% - ↑

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 3

  • Liu et al.10 ≥ 37.3°: OR 8.9 95% CI 1.0 - 78.1

 ●●●

  • 4 (3/7) = 43%

  • Median (IQR) Highest temperature, C°
SOFA score

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 2

  • Zhou et al.15 NA: OR 5.7 95% CI 2.6 - 12.2

 ●●●

  • 2 (0/2) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) SOFA score, NA
Diabetes

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

 2

  • Caramelo et al.12 Diabetes: OR 9.0 95% CI 7.4 - 11.3

 ●●●

  • 13 (0/13) = 0%

  • Percentages Diabetes, NA
Lymphocyte count

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↓

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 6

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 9 (3/12) = 25%

  • Median (IQR) Lymphocyte count, ×109/L
Dyspnea

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - Presence

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 5

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 10 (0/10) = 0%

  • Percentages Dyspnea, NA
White blood Cell count

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

 100% - ↑

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 5

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 8 (3/11) = 27%

  • Median (IQR) WBC count, ×109/L
Procalcitonin

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 4

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 6 (1/7) = 14%

  • Median (IQR) Procalcitonin, ng/ml
Lactate dehydrogenase

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 4

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 7 (1/8) = 13%

  • Median (IQR) LDH, U/L
Cardiac troponins

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 4

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (1/4) = 25%

  • Median (IQR) Hypersensitive troponin I, pg/ml
Prothrombin time

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 5 (1/6) = 17%

  • Median (IQR) Prothrombin time, s,
Blood urea nitrogen

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Blood urea nitrogen, mmol/L
Total bilirubin

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 4 (3/7) = 43%

  • Total bilirubin, μmol/L
Interleukin-6

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) IL-6, pg/mL
Serum ferritin

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Serum ferritin, ng/mL
Comorbidity

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

 3

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 8 (0/8) = 0%

  • Percentages Comorbidity, NA
Neutrophil count

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 75% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 2

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 7 (0/7) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Neutrophil count, ×109/L
Creatine kinase MB

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • 0

 2

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 4 (0/4) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) CK-MB, U/L
CURB-65

  • Liu et al.9 (109) Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 2

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 2 (0/2) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) CURB-65 score, NA
Respiratory rate

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 2

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (4/7) = 57%

  • Median (IQR) Respiratory rate, breaths*min
Lymphocyte ratio

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Mean (SD) Lymphocyte ratio, %
Chronic kidney disease

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - Presence

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Percentages Chronic kidney dis ease, NA
Chest pain

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - Presence

  • 0

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 2 (0/2) = 0%

  • Percentages Chest pain, NA
Neutrophil ratio

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Percentage Neutrophil ratio, %
Fibrinogen degradation product

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) FDP, ug/mL
Myoglobin

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Mean (SD) Myoglobin, ng/mL
APACHE II

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) APACHE II score, NA
PaO2:FiO2

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) PaO2:FiO2, mmHg
Globulin

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Globulin, g/L
Prealbumin

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) prealbumin, mg/L
Urea

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) prealbumin, mM
Glucose

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Glucose, mM
Cholinesterase

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Cholinesterase, U/L
Cystatin C

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Cystatin C, mg/L
α-HBDH

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) α-HBDH 100 U/L
LDL

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↓

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) LDL, mM
Heart Rate

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0%

  • Percentages Heart Rate ≥125, beats/min
Health system burden in Hubei

  • Ji et al.21 (NA)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • 0

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 1 (0/1) = 0% NA NA
Days from onset of symptoms to hospital

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)*

 100% - ↑

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

 1

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 5 (1/6) = 17%

  • Median (IQR) Symptom onset to admission, days
O2 saturation

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - ↓

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 0

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Oxygen saturation, %
Fibrinogen

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

 100% - ↑

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • 0

 0

  • NA

 ●●○

  • 2 (0/2) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Fibrinogen, g/L
Smoking

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

 -2

  • Liu et al.10 Past use: OR 14.3 95% CI 1.6 - 25.0

 ●●○

  • 5 (1/6 = 17%)

  • Percentages Current smoker, NA
Chronic respiratory disease

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -3

  • Caramelo et al.12 CRD: OR 7.8 95% CI 5.5 - 10.4

 ●●○

  • 10 (2/12 = 17%)

  • Percentages COPD, NA
Cancer

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -3

  • Liu et al.10 Cancer: OR 6.9 95% CI 3.4 - 12.5

 ●●○

  • 7 (0/7) = 0%

  • Percentages Malignancy, NA
Cardiovascular disease

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

 -4

  • Caramelo et al.12 HTA: OR 7.4 95% CI 6.3 - 8.8 Cardiac: OR 12.8 95% CI 10.3 - 15.9

 ●●○

  • 12 (1/13) =8%

  • Percentages Cardiac disease, NA
Lactate

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

 100% - ↑

  • 0

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Lactate, mmol/L
Monocyte count

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - ↓

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • 0

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 3 (0/3) = 0%

  • Median (IQR) Lymphocite count / ×109/L
Creatinine

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 5 (4/9) = 44%

  • Median (IQR) Creatinin, μmol
Composite abnormal radiological findings (CT-RX)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 0 (6/6) = 100% NA NA
Systolic blood pressure

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

 100% - ↑

  • Tian et al.8 (262)*

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 2 (2/5) = 40% Mean (SD)

  • Median (IQR) Systolic blood pressure, mmHg
Platelet count

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↓

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 5 (5/10) = 50%

  • Median (IQR) Platelet count / ×109/L
AST

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78) Liu et al.9 (109) Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099) Huang et al.17 (41)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 6 (1/7) = 14%

  • Median (IQR) Aspartate aminotransferase, UL
ALT

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

 100% - ↑

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -1

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 6 (2/8) = 25%

  • Median (IQR) Alanine aminotransferase, UL
Expectoration

  • Li et al.11 (84)

 100% - Presence

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -3

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 6 (0/6) = 0%

  • Percentages Sputum, NA
Cough

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 -6

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 11 (2/13) = 15%

  • Percentages Cough, NA
Fatigue

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

 -6

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 5 (2/7) = 29%

  • Percentages Fatigue, NA
Male gender

  • Tang et al.13 (183)

  • Caramelo et al.12 (72314)

 100% - Presence

  • Huang et al.17 (41)

  • Zhang et al.6 (19)

  • Wang et al.7 (138)

  • Tian et al.8 (262)

  • Liu et al.9 (109)

  • Li et al.11 (84)

  • Ruan et al.14 (150)

  • Liu et al.10 (78)

  • Zhou et al.15 (191)

  • Wu et al.16 (201)

  • Guan et al.18 (1099)

  • Yang et al.19 (52)

  • Zhonghua22 (44672)

  • Young et al.20 (18)

 -8

  • NA

 ●○○

  • 15 (1/16) = 6%

  • Percentages Male, NA

HTA: hypertension; CRD: chronic respiratory disease

* Data provided directly by the authors of the publication.