Table 2:
Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in association with gastrointestinal symptoms. Data presented as n (%), mean (SD) and median [interquartile].
| Characteristics/Symptoms (N=921) |
Without Initial GI
symptoms (N=715) |
With GI symptoms (N=206) |
P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (Years) | 47.63 (16.01) | 52.36 (17.08) | <0.001 |
| Sex (Males) | 329 (46.0%) | 80 (38.8%) | 0.08 |
| Race (African American) | 369 (51.7%) | 124 (60.2%) | 0.038 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 31.50 (7.42) | 33.06 (8.19) | 0.009 |
| Diabetes | 161 (22.5%) | 77 (37.4%) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 260 (36.4%) | 122 (59.2%) | <0.001 |
| Fever | 549 (76.8%) | 178 (86.4%) | 0.004 |
| Body aches | 360 (50.3%) | 128 (62.1%) | 0.004 |
| Cough | 637 (89.1%) | 190 (92.2%) | 0.24 |
| Shortness of breath | 411 (57.6%) | 143 (69.4%) | 0.003 |
| Loss of appetite | 129 (18.0%) | 105 (51.0%) | <0.001 |
| Constitutional symptoms | 610 (85.3%) | 195 (94.7%) | 0.001 |
| Respiratory symptoms | 660 (92.3%) | 195 (94.7%) | 0.32 |
| Lab Values £ | |||
| Highest WBC × 103/mm3 | 7.38 [5.38, 10.85] | 7.52 [5.84, 11.45] | 0.31 |
| Hemoglobin g/dL | 11.68 (2.30) | 11.02 (2.46) | 0.006 |
| Lowest Platelet Count × 103/mm3 | 203.09 (83.31) | 191.66 (86.04) | 0.19 |
| Neutrophils × 103/mm3 | 4.57 [2.95, 8.11] | 4.90 [3.52, 9.19] | 0.11 |
| Lymphocytes 103/ mm3 | 1.37 (2.24) | 1.01 (0.55) | 0.05 |
| Eosinophils × 103/ mm3 | 0.06 [0.01, 0.18] | 0.08 [0.01, 0.19] | 0.47 |
| Calcium mg/dL | 8.42 (0.76) | 8.18 (0.67) | 0.002 |
| Albumin mg/dL | 2.89 (0.85) | 2.68 (0.80) | 0.02 |
| Creatinine mg/dL | 1.06 [0.80, 1.55] | 1.27 [0.90, 2.69] | 0.001 |
| AST units/L | 40.00 [24.00, 99.50] | 50.50 [31.0,108.5] | 0.03 |
| ALT units/L | 35.00 [20.00, 77.75] | 43.00 [24.0,94.75] | 0.06 |
| Bilirubin mg/dL | 1.03 (2.03) | 1.31 (2.57) | 0.24 |
| Outcomes * | |||
| Hospital admission | 169 (23.6%) | 125 (60.7%) | <0.001 |
| Odds Ratio (95% CI) | 4.4 (3.03, 6.45) | <0.001 | |
| ICU admission | 72 (10.1%) | 53 (25.7%) | <0.001 |
| Odds Ratio (95% CI) | 2.53 (1.63, 3.91) | <0.001 | |
| ARDS | 50 (7.0%) | 41 (19.9%) | <0.001 |
| Odds Ratio (95% CI) | 2.76 (1.68, 4.52) | <0.001 | |
| Intubated | 48 (6.7%) | 37 (18.0%) | <0.001 |
| Odds Ratio (95% CI) | 2.43 (1.46, 4.02) | 0.001 | |
| GI symptom frequency and outcomes¥ | Number (%) of Subjects according to GI symptom frequency | Number (%) of Events | OR (95% CI), P value |
| Hospital admission | |||
| 0: 715 (77.6) | 169 (23.6) | 1 (reference) | |
| 1: 113 (12.3) | 55 (48.7) | 3.05 (1.94–4.79), <0.001 | |
| 2: 93 (10.1) | 70 (75.3) | 9.69 (5.72–17.00), <0.001 | |
| ARDS | |||
| 0: 715 (77.6) | 50 (7.0) | 1 (reference) | |
| 1: 113 (12.3) | 21 (18.6) | 3.06 (1.63 –
5.64), <0.001 |
|
| 2: 93 (10.1) | 20 (21.5) | 3.32
(1.75–6.15), <0.001 |
|
| ICU admission | |||
| 0: 715 (77.6) | 72 (10.1) | 1 (reference) | |
| 1: 113 (12.3) | 26 (23.0) | 2.62 (1.50–4.50), 0.001 | |
| 2: 93 (10.1) | 27 (29.0) | 3.24
(1.85–5.57), <0.001 |
|
| Intubated | |||
| 0: 715 (77.6) | 48 (6.7) | 1 (reference) | |
| 1: 113 (12.3) | 21 (18.6) | 3.13
(1.66–5.78), <0.001 |
|
| 2: 93 (10.1) | 16 (17.2) | 2.48 (1.25–4.72), 0.007 |
|
£:
Laboratory findings were available in 378–405/921 (41–44%) of cases; values are presented as mean (standard deviation) and median [interquartile] for normally and not-normally distributed values, respectively.
*:
Odds Ratio is calculated in patients with GI symptoms compared to those without GI symptoms after adjustment for age, sex, race, and co-morbidities (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, and/or obesity)
¥:
Gastrointestinal symptom frequency was calculate based on the number of initial GI symptoms (0: No GI symptoms, 1: only one GI symptom and 2: two or three GI symptoms).