Table 3.
Meta-analysis of the clinical characteristics of the study subjects
| Pooled effect size (95% CI) |
Heterogeneity | Tau squared | # of studies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q value | P value | I Squared | ||||
| Mean age (Years) | 50.3 (47.7–52.9) | 2872.2 | < .001 | 98.50 | 72.58 | 44 |
| Male | 53.0 (50.2–55.7) % | 180.71 | < .001 | 77.31 | 8.97 | 42 |
| Clinical features | ||||||
| Headache | 12.1 (9.1–15.8) % | 989.99 | < .001 | 96.26 | 0.824 | 38 |
| Myalgia | 22.2 (17.2–28.1) % | 621.55 | < .001 | 94.85 | 0.740 | 33 |
| Taste impairment | 19.6 (3.8–60.1) % | 431.04 | < .001 | 99.30 | 3.405 | 4 |
| Smell impairment | 18.3 (1.54–76.2) % | 853.88 | < .001 | 99.64 | 7.254 | 4 |
| Dizziness | 11.3 (8.5–15.0) % | 27.85 | .001 | 67.68 | 0.156 | 10 |
| Features of encephalopathy or cognitive dysfunction | 9.4 (2.8–26.6) % | 133.92 | < .001 | 95.51 | 2.70 | 7 |
| Ataxia or abnormal gait | 2.1 (0.2–23.7) % | 6.59 | .010 | 84.83 | 3.18 | 2 |
| Fever | 80.6 (74.9–85.3) % | 1604.55 | < .001 | 97.44 | 1.05 | 42 |
| Cough | 64.1 (59.9–68.0) % | 575.30 | < .001 | 93.04 | 0.26 | 41 |
| Neurological complications a | 3.0 (0.9–9.6) % | 50.01 | < .001 | 92.00 | 1.66 | 5 |
| Acute CVD | 2.5 (1.0–6.1) % | 15.3 | 0.004 | 74.41 | 0.72 | 5 |
| Laboratory findings | ||||||
| Serum CK (U/L) | 85.5 (73.8–97.3) | 369.93 | < .001 | 96.21 | 434.78 | 15 |
| Serum LDH (U/L) | 263.4 (234.6–292.3) | 648.50 | < .001 | 97.84 | 3026.56 | 15 |
| Lymphocyte (a10^9/L) | 1.08 (1.02–1.14) | 549.37 | < .001 | 95.08 | 0.024 | 28 |
| Neutrophils (a10^9/L) | 3.44 (3.21–3.68) | 214.45 | < .001 | 90.67 | 0.244 | 21 |
| Monocytes (a10^9/L) | 0.39 (0.37–0.42) | 42.66 | < .001 | 78.90 | 0.001 | 10 |
| Severe COVID-19 | 31.1 (21.9–42.2) % | 739.23 | < .001 | 97.02 | 1.16 | 23 |
| ICU admission | 20.6 (14.1–29.0) % | 231.12 | < .001 | 91.34 | 0.81 | 21 |
| Comorbidities | ||||||
| Any previous comorbidity | 37.4 (33.1–41.9) % | 274.90 | < .001 | 89.08 | 0.231 | 31 |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 10.3 (8.3–12.8) % | 265.15 | < .001 | 88.68 | 0.360 | 31 |
| Hypertension | 20.4 (17.0–24.2) % | 196.73 | < .001 | 87.292 | 0.253 | 26 |
| Heart diseases | 9.7 (7.2–12.9) % | 426.59 | < .001 | 93.201 | 0.706 | 30 |
| Neurological diseases | 5.7 (3.3–9.7) % | 175.60 | < .001 | 90.319 | 1.213 | 18 |
| Malignancy | 2.7 (2.0–3.6) % | 61.429 | < .001 | 59.303 | 0.319 | 26 |
| Pulmonary diseases | 3.4 (2.2–5.0) % | 260.24 | < .001 | 89.240 | 0.973 | 29 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 2.3 (1.3–3.9) % | 75.189 | < .001 | 81.380 | 0.858 | 15 |
| Chronic liver disease | 3.5 (2.6–4.7) % | 32.726 | .005 | 54.165 | 0.187 | 16 |
| Smoking | 9.2 (6.4–13.0) % | 146.643 | < .001 | 89.771 | 0.501 | 16 |
aNeurological complications include: Cerebrovascular diseases (ischemic stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, and venous sinus thrombosis), rhabdomyolysis, and seizures
P < .05 indicates the presence of heterogeneity