Table 1.
Demographics and baseline characteristics of COVID-19 patients with or without early fever.
| Characteristic | Moderate | Severe | Critical | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF | Non-EF | t -value* | P-value | EF | Non-EF | t -value* | P-value | EF | No EF | t -value* | P-value | |
| (N = 440) | (N = 229) | or χ2-value** | (N = 181) | (N = 79) | or χ2-value** | (N = 54) | (N = 31) | or χ2-value** | ||||
| Age, years (SD) | 54.3 (14.7) | 56.3 (14.4) | 1.69* | 0.0908 | 58.9 (14.3) | 62.7 (12.4) | 1.98* | 0.0484 | 67.6 (13.8) | 67.5 (12.8) | 0.08* | 0.9387 |
| <60 years, no. (%) | 275 (62.5) | 130 (56.8) | 2.07** | 0.1501 | 87 (48.1) | 32 (40.5) | 1.27** | 0.2605 | 14 (25.9) | 7 (22.6) | 0.12** | 0.7307 |
| ≥60 years, no. (%) | 165 (37.5) | 99 (43.2) | 94 (51.9) | 47 (59.5) | 40 (74.1) | 24 (77.4) | ||||||
| Female, no. (%) | 212 (48.2) | 136 (59.4) | 7.58** | 0.0060 | 102 (56.4) | 42 (53.2) | 0.23** | 0.6342 | 15 (27.8) | 13 (41.9) | 1.79** | 0.1813 |
| Time from symptom onset to the first clinic visit, days, median (IQR) | 4 (2–7) | 4 (2–7) | 0.43* | 0.5831 | 5 (2–7) | 6 (2–7) | 1.03* | 0.1547 | 5 (1–7) | 4 (1–7) | 0.52* | 0.3971 |
| Symptoms, no. (%) | ||||||||||||
| Cough | 292 (66.4) | 127 (55.5) | 7.65** | 0.0057 | 124 (68.5) | 50 (63.3) | 0.68** | 0.4109 | 33 (61.1) | 19 (61.3) | 0.01** | 0.9870 |
| Dyspnea | 116 (26.4) | 50 (21.8) | 1.66** | 0.1981 | 102 (56.4) | 41 (51.9) | 0.44** | 0.5066 | 23 (42.6) | 18 (58.1) | 1.89** | 0.1694 |
| Sore throat | 32 (7.3) | 24 (10.5) | 2.02** | 0.1552 | 11 (6.1) | 8 (10.1) | 1.33** | 0.2486 | 1 (1.9) | 2 (6.5) | 1.22** | 0.2686 |
| Thoracic tightness or pain | 21 (4.8) | 14 (6.1) | 0.55** | 0.4599 | 7 (3.9) | 2 (2.5) | 0.29** | 0.5879 | 6 (11.1) | 1 (3.2) | 1.62** | 0.2030 |
| Myalgia | 104 (23.6) | 27 (11.8) | 13.4** | 0.0002 | 53 (29.3) | 11 (13.9) | 6.99** | 0.0082 | 7 (13.0) | 2 (6.5) | 0.88** | 0.3477 |
| Headache | 18 (4.1) | 10 (4.4) | 0.03** | 0.8657 | 5 (2.8) | 2 (2.5) | 0.01** | 0.9158 | 2 (3.7) | 1 (3.2) | 0.01** | 0.9085 |
| Diarrhea | 46 (10.5) | 12 (5.2) | 5.17** | 0.0230 | 14 (7.7) | 2 (2.5) | 2.58** | 0.1084 | 2 (3.7) | 1 (3.2) | 0.01** | 0.9085 |
| Nausea | 16 (3.6) | 6 (2.6) | 0.49** | 0.4843 | 9 (5.0) | 5 (6.3) | 0.20** | 0.6558 | 1 (1.9) | 2 (6.5) | 1.22** | 0.2686 |
| Consciousness disorder | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | / | / | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0.58** | 0.4460 | 5 (9.3) | 5 (16.1) | 0.90** | 0.3440 |
| Comorbidities, no. (%) | ||||||||||||
| Chronic lung disease*** | 6 (1.4) | 8 (3.5) | 3.33** | 0.0678 | 5 (2.8) | 9 (11.4) | 6.28** | 0.0122 | 3 (5.6) | 4 (12.9) | 1.41** | 0.2356 |
| Hypertension | 124 (28.2) | 63 (27.5) | 0.03** | 0.8544 | 67 (37.0) | 37 (46.8) | 2.21** | 0.1372 | 30 (55.6) | 15 (48.4) | 0.41** | 0.5239 |
| Diabetes | 52 (11.8) | 21 (9.2) | 1.08** | 0.2973 | 22 (12.2) | 25 (31.6) | 14.11** | 0.0002 | 15 (27.8) | 7 (22.6) | 0.28** | 0.5985 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 22 (5.0) | 14 (6.1) | 0.37** | 0.5448 | 23 (12.7) | 18 (22.8) | 4.21** | 0.0403 | 12 (22.2) | 11 (35.5) | 1.75** | 0.1853 |
| Chronic kidney failure | 12 (2.7) | 4 (1.7) | 0.62** | 0.4309 | 13 (7.2) | 17 (21.5) | 11.07** | 0.0009 | 5 (9.3) | 7 (22.6) | 2.88** | 0.0895 |
| Chronic liver disease | 12 (2.7) | 12 (5.2) | 2.75** | 0.0973 | 12 (6.6) | 6 (7.6) | 0.08** | 0.7780 | 7 (13.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4.38** | 0.0364 |
| Cancer | 5 (1.1) | 4 (1.7) | 0.42** | 0.5156 | 2 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0.88** | 0.3483 | 2 (3.7) | 2 (6.5) | 0.33** | 0.5647 |
| Medications, no. (%) | ||||||||||||
| Statin | 9 (2.0) | 9 (3.9) | 2.04** | 0.1529 | 5 (2.8) | 3 (3.8) | 0.20** | 0.6567 | 5 (9.3) | 2 (6.5) | 0.21** | 0.6504 |
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 35 (8.0) | 17 (7.4) | 0.06** | 0.8077 | 10 (5.5) | 6 (7.6) | 0.41** | 0.5229 | 5 (9.3) | 2 (6.5) | 0.21** | 0.6504 |
| Anticoagulant | 13 (3.0) | 6 (2.6) | 0.06** | 0.8048 | 9 (5.0) | 3 (3.8) | 0.17** | 0.6779 | 4 (7.4) | 3 (9.7) | 0.13** | 0.7140 |
| Hypoglycemic agent | 32 (7.3) | 13 (5.7) | 0.61** | 0.4343 | 12 (6.6) | 20 (25.3) | 17.79** | <0.0001 | 12 (22.2) | 4 (12.9) | 1.12** | 0.2901 |
| Systemic steroid | 13 (3.0) | 2 (0.9) | 2.98** | 0.0845 | 11 (6.1) | 3 (3.8) | 0.56** | 0.4538 | 7 (13.0) | 3 (9.7) | 0.20** | 0.6509 |
| Vital signs, median (IQR) | ||||||||||||
| Body temperature by ear thermometer, °C | 38.0 (37.9–38.7) | 36.5 (36.2–36.8) | 9.44* | <0.0001 | 38.3 (38.0–38.9) | 37.0 (36.8–37.0) | 20.42* | <0.0001 | 38.0 (38.0–39.0) | 37.0 (36.7–37.0) | 12.12* | <0.0001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 130 (121–141) | 130 (120–138) | 0.67* | 0.5010 | 130 (121–141) | 133 (121–145) | 1.22* | 0.2203 | 131 (120–144) | 130 (121–145) | 0.57* | 0.5709 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg | 82 (76–91) | 80 (75–90) | 0.99* | 0.3182 | 80 (73–87) | 80 (72–90) | 0.34* | 0.7344 | 80 (71–84) | 78 (71–90) | 1.67* | 0.0979 |
| Heart rate, beats/min | 88 (80–98) | 86 (76–96) | 1.64* | 0.1022 | 83 (77–98) | 86 (76–95) | 0.59* | 0.5571 | 97 (84–107) | 90 (79–103) | 1.52* | 0.1324 |
| Oxygen saturation % | 98 (97–98) | 98 (97–98) | 0.99* | 0.3219 | 95 (90–98) | 95 (91–98) | 0.25* | 0.8019 | 92 (86–96) | 93 (90–96) | 1.70* | 0.0925 |
| Respiratory rate, breaths/min | 20 (18–22) | 20 (18–22) | 0.68* | 0.4970 | 21 (19–23) | 21 (18–23) | 1.87* | 0.0630 | 23 (20–26) | 22 (20–25) | 0.84* | 0.4010 |
| Laboratory tests, median (IQR) | ||||||||||||
| Neutrophil, × 109/L | 3.1 (2.4–4.0) | 3.4 (2.6–4.2) | 0.11* | 0.9157 | 3.2 (2.5–4.3) | 3.7 (2.5–4.7) | 0.66* | 0.5110 | 6.1 (3.8–9.8) | 6.7 (5.4–9.1) | 0.39* | 0.6990 |
| Lymphocyte, × 109/L | 1.6 (1.3–2.0) | 1.7 (1.4–2.1) | 0.26* | 0.7932 | 1.5 (1.0–1.9) | 1.4 (0.9–1.9) | 0.29* | 0.7745 | 0.8 (0.6–1.2) | 0.8 (0.4–0.9) | 1.02* | 0.3115 |
| Eosinophil, × 109/L | 0.12 (0.07–0.18) | 0.12 (0.07–0.21) | 1.17* | 0.2420 | 0.10 (0.05–0.16) | 0.09 (0.06–0.17) | 0.06* | 0.9523 | 0.01 (0.00–0.06) | 0.04 (0.01–0.13) | 0.78* | 0.4388 |
| d-Dimer, μg/ml | 0.32 (0.19–0.70) | 0.28 (0.17–0.53) | 0.89* | 0.3743 | 0.62 (0.23–1.28) | 0.90 (0.37–3.18) | 3.31* | 0.0011 | 2.92 (0.7–9.2) | 3.08 (1.34–6.42) | 0.94* | 0.3523 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase, U/L | 178 (158–207) | 173 (154–200) | 1.91* | 0.0566 | 196 (170–228) | 201 (168–248) | 0.49* | 0.6249 | 360 (251–479) | 279 (218–392) | 1.50* | 0.1373 |
| Creatinine, μmol/L | 64.6 (54.4–74.7) | 62.7 (54.9–72.0) | 0.72* | 0.4745 | 65.1 (53.5–80.3) | 65.9 (55.4–102.2) | 2.38* | 0.0180 | 75.4 (53.2–103.4) | 74.7 (53.7–253.1) | 2.73* | 0.0077 |
| Alanine aminotransferase, U/L | 25 (16–40) | 27 (14–32) | 2.92* | 0.0036 | 25 (14–36) | 20 (12–31) | 0.35* | 0.7230 | 25 (19–37) | 25 (15–45) | 1.04* | 0.3018 |
| Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L | 20 (16–27) | 23 (15–25) | 0.89* | 0.3761 | 20 (15–26) | 19 (15–25) | 0.76* | 0.4475 | 33 (22–54) | 24 (18–40) | 1.07* | 0.2891 |
| Albumin, g/L | 38.2 (35.6–40.3) | 38.6 (36.5–40.9) | 1.07* | 0.2837 | 36.3 (33.6–39.1) | 36.2 (32.1–38.8) | 0.92* | 0.3585 | 30.5 (27.4–33.3) | 31.4 (28.4–34.7) | 0.62* | 0.5338 |
| cTnI, ng/L | 0.01 (0.01–0.01) | 0.01 (0.01–0.01) | 1.32* | 0.1887 | 0.01 (0.01–0.01) | 0.01 (0.01–0.02) | 1.06* | 0.2880 | 0.03 (0.01–0.08) | 0.03 (0.01–0.10) | 0.99* | 0.3234 |
| IL-6, pg/mL | 7.95 (2.05–11.50) | 2.0 (1.50–2.56) | 8.11* | <0.0001 | 13.74 (5.48–19.86) | 5.13 (3.31–6.88) | 2.03* | 0.0476 | 146.8 (21.9–348.1) | 134.8 (9.8–182.4) | 1.37* | 0.1728 |
| CRP, mg/L | 13.60 (9.61–24.51) | 2.50 (0.65–9.20) | 9.81* | <0.0001 | 11.40 (3.60–34.26) | 5.99 (1.50–24.61) | 1.84* | 0.0669 | 46.91 (15.12–83.26) | 15.18 (4.87–58.40) | 1.51* | 0.1348 |
| PCT, ng/mL | 0.03 (0.02–0.05) | 0.03 (0.02–0.04) | 0.71* | 0.4805 | 0.04 (0.03–0.07) | 0.05 (0.03–0.23) | 1.00* | 0.3167 | 0.23 (0.10–0.87) | 0.15 (0.08–0.62) | 0.56* | 0.5800 |
| Bilateral involvement of chest radiographs, no. (%) | 411 (93.4) | 201 (87.8) | 6.14** | 0.0132 | 174 (96.1) | 73 (92.4) | 1.61** | 0.2047 | 53 (98.1) | 31 (100.0) | 0.58** | 0.4460 |
COVID-19, coronavirus disease; EF, early fever; PCT, procalcitonin; CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; IL-6, interleukin-6.
*
Quantitative variables of normal distribution were compared using independent t-test.
**
Qualitative variables were analyzed using the Chi-squared test.
***
Chronic lung disease was defined as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, or chronic bronchitis.