Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of the Enrolled Population.
| Characteristic | No. (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (N = 214) | Standard of care (n = 50) | Ascorbic acid only (n = 48) | Zinc only (n = 58) | Ascorbic acid with zinc (n = 58) | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 45.2 (14.6) | 42.0 (14.6) | 45.6 (15.0) | 44.1 (14.8) | 48.7 (14.3) |
| Women | 132 (61.7) | 31 (62.0) | 33 (68.8) | 37 (63.8) | 31 (53.4) |
| Race | |||||
| White | 152 (71.7) | 31 (62.0) | 39 (81.3) | 42 (72.7) | 40 (69.0) |
| Black | 51 (23.8) | 16 (32.0) | 7 (14.6) | 12 (20.7) | 16 (27.6) |
| Other | 2 (0.9) | 0 | 1 (2.1) | 0 | 1 (1.7) |
| Not reported | 9 (4.2) | 3 (6.0) | 1 (2.1) | 4 (6.9) | 1 (1.7) |
| Body mass index, median (IQR)a | 30.0 (26.2-36.6) | 30.9 (25.8-38.2) | 28.3 (25.8-32.0) | 28.8 (26.2-37.9) | 31.0 (27.7-36.5) |
| History | |||||
| Diabetes | 29 (13.6) | 3 (6.0) | 2 (4.2) | 7 (12.1) | 17 (29.3) |
| Hypertension | 70 (32.7) | 14 (28.0) | 8 (16.7) | 21 (36.2) | 27 (46.6) |
| Dyslipidemia | 56 (26.2) | 9 (18.0) | 11 (22.9) | 12 (20.7) | 24 (41.4) |
| Asthma | 33 (15.4) | 7 (14.0) | 8 (16.7) | 10 (17.2) | 8 (13.8) |
| Anxiety | 39 (18.2) | 11 (22.0) | 13 (27.1) | 8 (13.8) | 7 (12.1) |
| Depression | 33 (15.4) | 8 (16.0) | 7 (14.6) | 10 (17.2) | 8 (13.8) |
| Current or former smoking | 68 (31.8) | 14 (28.0) | 17 (35.4) | 16 (27.6) | 21 (36.2) |
| Concomitant medications | |||||
| Antipyretics | 59 (27.6) | 17 (34.0) | 9 (18.8) | 16 (27.6) | 17 (29.3) |
| NSAIDs | 33 (15.4) | 8 (16.0) | 4 (8.3) | 9 (15.5) | 12 (20.7) |
| Bronchodilator | 31 (14.5) | 10 (20.0) | 4 (8.3) | 10 (17.2) | 7 (12.1) |
| Gastrointestinal medications | 22 (10.3) | 4 (8.0) | 6 (12.5) | 7 (12.1) | 5 (8.6) |
| Corticosteroids | 18 (8.4) | 4 (8.0) | 5 (10.4) | 6 (10.3) | 3 (5.2) |
| Decongestant | 14 (6.5) | 3 (6.0) | 3 (6.3) | 5 (8.6) | 3 (5.2) |
| Baseline composite COVID-19 symptom score, average points, median (IQR) | |||||
| 4-component scoreb | 4.0 (3.0-5.0) | 4.0 (3.0-5.0) | 4.0 (3.0-6.0) | 4.0 (3.0-5.0) | 4.0 (3.0-6.0) |
| 12-component scorec | 11.0 (7.0-15.0) | 11.0 (9.5-16.0) | 12.5 (7.0-18.0) | 8.0 (6.0-13.0) | 11.0 (7.0-14.0) |
Abbreviations: COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; IQR, interquartile range; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
a
Body mass index was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
b
The 4-component score was collected for all patients.
c
The 12-component score was collected for 78 patients who consented after July 16, 2020 (20 patients [25.6%] in standard of care, 14 patients [17.9%] in ascorbic acid only, 21 patients [26.9%] in zinc only, and 23 patients [29.5%] in the combined ascorbic acid and zinc group).