Table1.

Characteristics of Included Studies

Author, year	Country	Design	Size	Age (Median/median range, years)	Glucocorticoids dose (Equivalent of MP)	Glucocorticoids type	Treatment timing (From illness onset, median days)	Treatment duration (Median/range, days)	Time frame of viral clearance delay (Follow-up)
Cao and Zhu et al. [20]	China	CC	87	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	14-, 10-day
Chang and Zhao et al. [21]	China	CC	67	14–59	NA	NA	NA	NA	16-day (16 days)
Chen and Li et al. [23]	China	RC	70	47–64	0.5–1 mg/kg/d (low dose); 1–2 mg/kg/d (medium-dose); 200–400 mg/d (high-dose)	NA	NA	NA	NA
Chen and Song et al. [22]	China	RC	371	63–65	Mean 49.5 mg/d	DM, MP, PN	Mean 14.1	Mean 9.1	NA
Chen and Zhu et al. [9]	China	RC	267	49	NA	NA	NA	NA	45-day
Cogliati-Dezza and Oliva et al. [5]	Italy	CC	179	62	NA	DM, MP	NA	NA	14-day
Ding and Feng et al. [24]	China	RC	82	49	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Fang and Mei et al. [25]	China	RC	55	39.9–60.6	Median 38 mg/d in general patients; 40 mg/d in severe patients	MP	NA	7 in general patients; 4.5 in severe patients	NA
Feng and Li et al. [6]	China	CC	564	47	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA (50 days)
Fu and Luo et al. [26]	China	RC	33	41–65	1 mg/kg/d	MP	NA	NA	NA (≥ 22 days)
Gong and Guan et al. [27]	China	RC	34	33.8–38.2	1–2 mg/kg/d	MP	NA	5–10	NA
Hu and Li et al. [10]	China	CC	206	Mean 53.7	40 mg/d (low-dose); 80 mg/d (high-dose)	MP	NA	NA	30-day
Hu and Yin et al. [28]	China	CC	183	49	Median 43.3 mg/d	NA	NA	4	20-day
Huang and Zhu et al. [11]	China	RC	309	45	40–160 mg/d	MP	NA	NA	NA (40 days)
Jeronimo and Farias et al. [29]	Brazil	RCT	283	Mean 55	1 mg/kg/day	MP	NA	5	5-, 7-day
Ji and Zhang et al. [30]	China	RC	490	61	1–2 mg/kg/day	DM, MP, PN	NA	3–5	14-, 28-day
Li and Cao et al. [31]	China	CC	66	47.5	NA	MP	NA	NA	11-day
Li and Li et al. [12]	China	RC	475	42	20 or 40 mg/d	MP, PS	2 (from admission)	NA	NA (50 days)
Li and Meng et al. [32]	China	RC	294	66	Median 40 mg/d	DM, MP, HC, PN	0 (from ICU admission)	9	NA (90 days)
Liang and Chen et al. [33]	China	RC	966	60	≤ 1–2 mg/kg/d	MP	NA	> 3	NA (≥ 50 days)
Liu and Li et al. [35]	China	RC	646	57	Median 80 mg/d	DM, MP, PN	13	NA	NA
Liu and Zhang et al. [34]	China	RC	774	64	Median 40 mg/d	MP, PS	1 (from admission)	6	30-day
Lu and Liu et al. [36]	China	RC	374	47–51	Median 220 mg (cumulative dose)	NA	≤ 5 (from admission)	4	NA (≥ 40 days)
Ma and Qi et al. [37]	China	RC	72	Mean 60	40 or 80 mg/d	MP	NA	3	NA
Ma and Zeng et al. [38]	China	RC	368	Mean 46.2	Median 56.6 mg/d	MP, PS	9	5	NA
Masia and Fernandez-Gonzalez et al. [39]	Spain	RC	77	63.5–71	250–500 mg/d	MP	NA	3	NA
Ni and Ding et al. [40]	China	RC	72	46–52	0.75–1.5 mg/kg/d	MP	NA	NA	NA
Qi and Yang et al. [41]	China	CC	147	42	NA	NA	NA	NA	17-day
Shi and Wu et al. [42]	China	CC	99	54	Median 60 mg/d	NA	8	NA	28-day
Shu and He et al. [43]	China	CC	83	43	NA	NA	NA	NA	16-day
Spagnuolo and Guffanti et al. [44]	Italy	RC	149	63.5	Median of 0.38 mg/kg/d	DM, MP, PN	1 (from admission)	9	14-, 14 to 28-, 28 to 40-, > 40-day
Wu and Hou et al. [45]	China	RC	382	Mean 60.7	NA	DM, MP, PN	NA	NA	NA
Xia and Xu et al. [46]	China	RC	49	NA	0.75–1.5 mg/kg/d	MP	≤ 3 (from admission)	NA	NA (≥ 10 days)
Xiong and Jin et al. [50]	China	RC	66	Mean 62	Median 400 mg (cumulative dose)	NA	9	NA	NA (≥ 30 days)
Xu and Chen et al. [47]	China	CC	113	52	0.5–1 mg/kg/d	MP	NA	NA	15-day
Yan and Liu et al. [7]	China	CC	120	52	NA	NA	NA	NA	23-day
Yuan and Xu et al. [8]	China	RC	132	43.7–52	Median 52.2 mg/d	MP	8.3	10.8	NA
Zha and Li et al. [48]	China	RC	31	39	40–80 mg/d	MP	NA	NA	NA
Zuo and Liu et al.. [49]	China	CC	181	Mean 44.3	NA	NA	NA	NA	21-day

CC, case control; RC, retrospective cohort; RCT, randomized controlled trial; DM, dexamethasone; MP, methylprednisolone; PN, prednisone; PS, prednisolone; HC, hydrocortisone; NA, not available