Table 1.
Demographics and clinical characteristics of critical COVID-19 patients on admission.
| Corticosteroid treatment (n = 68) | Non-corticosteroid treatment (n = 28) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | |||
| ≥60 | 53 (78%) | 14 (50%) | 0.063 |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 30 (44%) | 10 (36%) | 1.000 |
| Male | 38 (56%) | 18 (64%) | |
| Signs and symptoms | |||
| Fever (≥37.3°C) | 59 (87%) | 21 (75%) | 0.594 |
| Cough | 50 (74%) | 21 (75%) | 1.000 |
| Dyspnea | 31 (46%) | 12 (43%) | 1.000 |
| Sputum | 22 (32%) | 6 (21%) | 0.852 |
| Myalgia | 18 (26%) | 2 (7%) | 0.439 |
| Diarrhea | 12 (18%) | 3 (11%) | 1.000 |
| Cephalalgia | 10 (15%) | 2 (7%) | 1.000 |
| Hemoptysis | 1 (1%) | 1 (4%) | 1.000 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Hypertension | 32 (47%) | 12 (43%) | 1.000 |
| Diabetes | 11 (16%) | 5 (18%) | 1.000 |
| Digestive tract disease | 6 (9%) | 3 (11%) | 1.000 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 7 (10%) | 2 (7%) | 1.000 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 4 (6%) | 1 (4%) | 1.000 |
| Malignancy | 2 (4%) | 1 (4%) | 1.000 |
| Liver disease | 3 (4%) | 1 (4%) | 1.000 |
| Chronic lung disease | 6 (9%) | 0 | 0.594 |
| Treatments | |||
| Antiviral treatment | 61 (90%) | 25 (89%) | 1.000 |
| Interferon | 17 (25%) | 0 | 0.027 |
| Antibiotics | 59 (87%) | 26 (93%) | 1.000 |
| Immunoglobulin | 20 (29%) | 0 | 0.027 |
| Albumin | 5 (7%) | 0 | 0.856 |
| Thymosin α1 | 7 (10%) | 2 (7%) | 1.000 |
| Supplemental oxygen | 68 (100%) | 26 (93%) | 0.448 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 36 (53%) | 10 (36%) | 0.563 |
| ECMO | 1 (1%) | 2 (7%) | 1.000 |
Data are n (%). P-values comparing corticosteroid treatment and non-corticosteroid treatment are from Chi-Square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate, and adjusted for multiple comparisons by FDR method. COVID-19, coronavirus Disease 2019; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The bold P-values indicate P < 0.05.