Table 2.
Symptoms at presentation, comorbidities and outcomes stratified by SARS-CoV-2 PCR result among patients with a high probability of COVID-19 based on clinical and radiological criteria
| Characteristics n (%) | Positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test n=293 | Negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test n=136 | P value | Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P valuea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | ||||||
| Systemic symptoms | 218 | (74.4) | 91 | (66.9) | 0.11 | |
| Fever | 190 | (64.9) | 76 | (55.9) | 0.08 | 0.22 |
| Rigor | 15 | (5.1) | 6 | (4.4) | 0.75 | 0.83 |
| Myalgia | 48 | (16.4) | 16 | (11.8) | 0.21 | 0.45 |
| Headache | 22 | (7.5) | 14 | (10.3) | 0.33 | 0.50 |
| Lethargy | 79 | (27.0) | 40 | (29.4) | 0.60 | 0.77 |
| Respiratory symptoms | 260 | (88.7) | 119 | (87.5) | 0.71 | |
| Shortness of breath | 196 | (66.9) | 94 | (69.1) | 0.65 | 0.78 |
| Sore throat | 22 | (7.5) | 6 | (4.4) | 0.23 | 0.45 |
| Cough | 215 | (73.4) | 93 | (68.4) | 0.29 | 0.47 |
| Chest pain | 33 | (11.3) | 26 | (19.1) | 0.03 | 0.11 |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 94 | (32.1) | 44 | (32.4) | 0.96 | |
| Abdominal pain | 16 | (5.5) | 16 | (11.8) | 0.02 | 0.11 |
| Anorexia | 38 | (13.0) | 4 | (2.9) | 0.001 | 0.05 |
| Nausea | 22 | (7.5) | 11 | (8.1) | 0.83 | 0.83 |
| Diarrhoea | 47 | (16.0) | 28 | (20.6) | 0.25 | 0.45 |
| Vomiting | 32 | (10.9) | 23 | (16.9) | 0.08 | 0.22 |
| Anosmia | 9 | (3.1) | 6 | (4.4) | 0.48 | 0.67 |
| Falls | 22 | (7.5) | 2 | (1.5) | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| Collapse | 9 | (3.1) | 11 | (8.1) | 0.02 | 0.11 |
| Acute confusion | 46 | (15.7) | 20 | (14.7) | 0.79 | 0.79 |
| Number of symptoms reported, median (IQR) | 4 | (3,5) | 3 | (3,5) | 0.63 | |
| Usual residence | ||||||
| Own home | 205 | (71.4) | 114 | (83.8) | 0.04 | |
| Own home with social care | 39 | (13.6) | 13 | (9.6) | ||
| Residential home | 9 | (3.1) | 2 | (1.5) | ||
| Nursing home | 34 | (10.5) | 7 | (5.2) | ||
| Smoking status | ||||||
| Never smoked | 153 | (56.5) | 61 | (46.6) | <0.001 | |
| Ex-smoker | 97 | (35.8) | 34 | (26.0) | ||
| Current smoker | 21 | (7.8) | 36 | (27.5) | ||
| Comorbidities | ||||||
| Number of comorbidities, median (IQR) | 2 | (1,3) | 2 | (1,3) | 0.01 | |
| Chronic heart disease | 91 | (31.1) | 19 | (14.0) | <0.001 | 0.004 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 14 | (4.8) | 2 | (1.5) | 0.09 | 0.28 |
| COPD | 44 | (15.0) | 24 | (17.6) | 0.49 | 0.61 |
| Asthma | 37 | (12.6) | 14 | (10.3) | 0.49 | 0.61 |
| Other respiratory disease | 16 | (5.5) | 6 | (4.4) | 0.65 | 0.69 |
| Diabetes mellitus type 1 | 3 | (1.0) | 0 | (0) | 0.56 | |
| Diabetes mellitus type 2 | 82 | (28.0) | 30 | (22.1) | 0.19 | 0.32 |
| Hypertension | 125 | (42.7) | 42 | (30.9) | 0.02 | 0.09 |
| Obesity | 58 | (19.8) | 30 | (22.1) | 0.59 | 0.68 |
| Dementia | 34 | (11.6) | 10 | (7.4) | 0.18 | 0.32 |
| Chronic neurological disease | 47 | (16.0) | 10 | (7.4) | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| Active malignancy | 25 | (8.5) | 18 | (13.2) | 0.13 | 0.29 |
| Chronic liver disease | 12 | (4.1) | 8 | (5.9) | 0.41 | 0.61 |
| Chronic renal disease | 40 | (13.7) | 10 | (7.4) | 0.06 | 0.19 |
| Haemodialysis | 7 | (2.4) | 0 | (0) | 0.07 | |
| Immunocompromised | 19 | (6.5) | 18 | (13.2) | 0.02 | 0.09 |
| Rheumatological disease | 15 | (5.1) | 6 | (4.4) | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Pregnancy | 2 | (0.7) | 0 | (0) | 0.33 | |
| Clinical Frailty Score | 3 | (2,6) | 3 | (2,5) | 0.25 | |
| Do not resuscitate order implemented | 165 | (56.3) | 67 | (49.3) | 0.17 | |
| Outcomes | ||||||
| Received oxygen | 253 | (86.4) | 95 | (70.0) | <0.001 | |
| Maximum oxygen concentration (%)b | 40 | (32, 80) | 34 | (21, 60) | 0.002 | |
| Critical care admission | 53 | (18.1) | 8 | (5.9) | 0.001 | |
| Non-invasive ventilation | 21 | (7.2) | 11 | (8.1) | 0.74 | |
| Invasive ventilation | 52 | (17.8) | 3 | (2.2) | <0.001 | |
| Cumulative incidence of mortality at 28 days (% (95% CI)c |
41.6 | (36.2-47.5) | 27.4 | (20.7-35.7) | 0.009 | |
a
Adjusted P value for multiple hypothesis testing of 18 symptoms and 15 co-morbidities respectively using univariate logistic regression with Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery corrected P values. bMaximum oxygen concentration received among patients treated with supplemental oxygen therapy. cCumulative mortality incidence from Kaplan-Meier analysis, p-value is log-rank test.