Table 1. Comparisons of baseline clinical, genetic and biochemical parameters between COVID-19 patients with severe disease (Group S) and a-paucisymptomatic patients (Group A).
| Characteristics of Sardinian COVID-19 patients | Total patients (N = 396) | Group A (N = 240) | Group S (N = 156) | Comparison Group S vs Group A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD | 95% CI | Mean ± SD | 95% CI | Mean ± SD | 95% CI | P value | Δx (95% CI) 9 | |
| Age (yr) | 55.9 ± 17.5 | 49.7–56.4 | 50.8 ± 17.4 | 46.5–52.4 | 63.7 ± 14.7 | 60.8–72.1 | 2.2·10−13 | 12.9 (12.3–13.5) |
| n (%) | 95% CI | n (%) | 95% CI | n (%) | 95% CI | P value | OR (95% CI) | |
| Age ≤ 50 yr | 144 (36.4) | 31.6–41.1 | 117 (48.8) | 42.4–55.1 | 27 (17.3) | 11.3–23.3 | 9.0·10−11 | 0.2 (0.1–0.4) |
| 50 yr < Age < 65 yr | 132 (33.3) | 28.7–38.0 | 75 (31.3) | 25.4–37.1 | 57 (36.5) | 28.9–44.2 | 0.278 | 1.3 (0.8–2.0) |
| Age ≥ 65 yr | 120 (30.3) | 25.8–34.8 | 48 (20.0) | 14.9–25.1 | 72 (46.2) | 38.3–54.0 | 5.5·10−8 | 3.4 (2.1–5.5) |
| Male | 195 (49.2) | 44.3–54.2 | 84 (35.0) | 28.9–41.1 | 111 (71.2) | 64.0–78.3 | 1.6·10−12 | 4.6 (2.9–7.3) |
| Female | 201 (50.8) | 45.8–55.7 | 156 (65.0) | 58.9–71.1 | 45 (28.8) | 21.7–36.0 | 1.6·10−12 | 0.2 (0.1–0.3) |
| FLU vaccine 2019 | 52 (13.1) | 9.8–16.5 | 39 (16.3) | 11.6–20.9 | 13 (8.3) | 4.0–12.7 | 0.023 | 0.5 (0.2–0.9) |
| Comorbidities | ||||||||
| Cancer | 7 (1.8) | 0.5–3.1 | 6 (2.5) | 0.5–4.5 | 1 (0.6) | 0.0–1.9 | 0.252 | 0.3 (0.0–2.1) |
| Diabetes | 14 (3.5) | 1.7–5.4 | 6 (2.5) | 0.5–4.5 | 8 (5.1) | 1.6–8.6 | 0.176 | 2.1 (0.6–7.5) |
| Chronic pulmonary disease1 | 4 (1.0) | 0.0–2.0 | 4 (1.7) | 0.0–3.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.157 | |
| Ischemic heart disease2 | 29 (7.3) | 4.7–9.9 | 21 (8.7) | 5.2–12.3 | 8 (5.1) | 1.6–8.6 | 0.236 | 0.6 (0.2–1.4) |
| Hypertension | 58 (14.6) | 11.2–18.1 | 35 (14.6) | 10.1–19.1 | 23 (14.7) | 9.1–20.4 | 1 | 1.0 (0.5–1.9) |
| Autoimmune disease3 | 75 (18.9) | 15.1–22.8 | 33 (13.7) | 9.4–18.1 | 42 (26.9) | 19.9–33.9 | 0.002 | 2.3 (1.3–4.0) |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 41 (10.4) | 8.0–14.2 | 19 (7.9) | 4.5–11.3 | 22 (14.1) | 10.2–21.8 | 0.063 | 1.9 (1.0–3.7) |
| Chronic Medication use | ||||||||
| Steroidal anti-inflammatory drug | 21 (5.3) | 3.1–7.5 | 9 (3.8) | 1.3–6.2 | 12 (7.7) | 3.5–11.9 | 0.108 | 2.1 (0.8–5.9) |
| Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug4 | 23 (5.8) | 3.5–8.1 | 12 (3.8) | 2.2–7.8 | 11 (7.1) | 3.0–11.1 | 0.390 | 1.4 (0.6–3.7) |
| ACE II inhibitor5 | 41 (10.4) | 7.3–13.4 | 21 (8.8) | 5.2–12.3 | 20 (12.8) | 7.5–18.1 | 0.237 | 1.5 (0.8–3.1) |
| Angiotensin II receptor blocker6 | 22 (5.5) | 3.3–7.8 | 12 (5.0) | 2.2–7.8 | 10 (6.4) | 2.5–10.3 | 0.654 | 1.3 (0.5–3.4) |
| Beta and calcium channel blockers7 | 54 (13.6) | 10.2–17.0 | 27 (11.3) | 7.2–15.3 | 27 (17.3) | 11.3–23.3 | 0.100 | 1.6 (0.9–3.0) |
| Levothyroxine | 24 (6.1) | 3.7–8.4 | 19 (7.9) | 5.2–12.3 | 5 (3.2) | 0.0–4.1 | 0.083 | 0.4 (0.1–1.1) |
| Genetic trait | ||||||||
| Beta-thalassemic Trait | 30 (7.8) | 5.0–10.2 | 30 (12.5) | 8.3–16.7 | 0 | 0 | 1.8·10−7 | |
| G6PDH deficiency | 45 (11.4) | 8.2–14.5 | 24 (10.0) | 6.2–13.8 | 21 (13.5) | 8.1–18.9 | 0.332 | 1.4 (0.7–2.7) |
| HLA-B*58:01, C*07:01, DRB1*03:018 | 12 (3.0) | 1.5–4.9 | 12 (5.0) | 2.2–7.8 | 0 | 0 | 0.004 | |
| Serology | Mean ± SD | 95% CI (IQR) | Mean ± SD | 95% CI (IQR) | Mean ± SD | 95% CI (IQR) | P value | Δx (95% CI) 9 |
| White blood cell count (x103/μL) | 8.2 ± 2.8 | 7.4–8.9 (4.5) | 8.1 ± 2.3 | 7.7–8.4 (4.5) | 8.4 ± 3.7 | 7.6–9.3 (4.6) | 0.352 | 0.3 (0.0–1.1) |
| Lymphocyte count (x103/μL) | 1.1 ± 0.6 | 1.0–1.3 (0.5) | 1.2 ± 0.5 | 1.1–1.2 (0.7) | 1.0 ± 0.8 | 0.8–1.2 (0.6) | 0.112 | 0.1 (0.0–0.3) |
1 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was defined as a diagnosis of emphysema and/or bronchitis.
2 Ischemic heart disease was categorized as history of myocardial infarction or angina.
3Autoimmune diseases included 20 cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, 12 cases of type I diabetes mellitus, 13 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 9 cases of autoimmune hepatitis and 21 cases of other autoimmune disorders.
4 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs included aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, indomethacin, celecoxib, and meloxicam.
5 Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors included captopril, enalapril, lisinopril, fosinopril, ramipril, and quinapril.
6 Angiotensin II receptor blockers included losartan, candesartan, irbesartan, olmesartan, and valsartan.
7 Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers included amlodipine, nifedipine. Beta blockers included atenolol, bisoprolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nebivolol.
8None of the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Group S, carried the extended haplotype HLA-A*02:05, B*58:01, C*07:01, DRB1*03:01 which was present in 5.3% of the 400 individuals of the population group selected for being highly representative of the Sardinian population [OR = 0 (95% CI 0–0.5), P = 0.002].
9 Mean difference (for continuous variables): Δx = |x1 (patients in Group S)—x2 (patients in Group A)|.
Abbreviations: SD = standard deviation; CI = confidence interval; IQR = interquartile range.