Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population
| Probable co-infection (N = 3) | Possible co-infection (N = 35) | Unlikely co-infection (N = 233) | Total (N = 281) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 2 (66.7%) | 24 (68.6%) | 124 (53.2%) | 157 (55.9%) |
| Female | 1 (33.3%) | 11 (31.4%) | 109 (46.8%) | 124 (44.1%) |
| Age (years) | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 65.3 (7.8) | 60.1 (13.9) | 60.9 (15.0) | 61.1 (14.7) |
| ≥ 65% | 33.3 | 34.2 | 41.6 | 42.0 |
| SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive | 2 (66.7%) | 30 (85.7%) | 204 (87.6%) | 246 (87.5%) |
| SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative, CO-RADS ≥ 4 | 1 (33.3%) | 4 (11.4%) | 29 (12.4%) | 34 (12.5%) |
| SARS-CoV-2 PCR uninterpretable, CO-RADS ≥ 4 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (2.9%) | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (0.4%) |
| CURB-65 | ||||
| 0 | 1 (33.3%) | 9 (25.7%) | 73 (31.3%) | 86 (30.6%) |
| 1 | 1 (33.3%) | 12 (34.3%) | 85 (36.5%) | 99 (35.2%) |
| 2 | 0 (0%) | 8 (22.9%) | 43 (18.5%) | 53 (18.9%) |
| 3 | 1 (33.3%) | 6 (17.1%) | 26 (11.2%) | 35 (12.5%) |
| 4 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (2.6%) | 8 (2.8%) |
| 5 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Direct admission to the critical care unit (ICU or medium care) | 1 (33.3%) | 5 (14.3%) | 14 (6.0%) | 25 (8.9%) |
| Admission to the critical care unit within | ||||
| 24 h | 1 (33.3%) | 6 (17.1%) | 24 (10.3%) | 36 (12.8%) |
| 48 h | 1 (33.3%) | 7 (20.0%) | 26 (11.2%) | 39 (13.9%) |
| 72 h | 1 (33.3%) | 7 (20.0%) | 33 (14.2%) | 46 (16.4%) |
| History of hypertension | 0 (0%) | 15 (42.9%) | 107 (45.9%) | 129 (45.9%) |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (0.9%) | 2 (0.7%) |
| History of asthma or COPD | 1 (33.3%) | 9 (25.7%) | 51 (21.9%) | 65 (23.1%) |
| History of chronic kidney disease | 0 (0%) | 6 (17.1%) | 17 (7.3%) | 24 (8.5%) |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.4%) | 1 (0.4%) |
| History of liver disease | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.9%) | 12 (5.2%) | 14 (5.0%) |
| History of chronic neurological disorder | 0 (0%) | 3 (8.6%) | 36 (15.5%) | 40 (14.2%) |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (0.9%) | 2 (0.7%) |
| Immunocompromised* | 0 (0%) | 6 (17.1%) | 17 (7.3%) | 24 (8.5%) |
| CRP at admission (mg/L) | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 110.0 (67.5) | 167.0 (104.5) | 74.0 (86.0) | 85.6 (96.6) |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 2 (5.7%) | 8 (3.4%) | 11 (3.9%) |
| CRP < 100 mg/L | 1 (33.3%) | 6 (17.1%) | 148 (63.5%) | 155 (55.2%) |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 2 (5.7%) | 8 (3.4%) | 11 (3.9%) |
| Procalcitonin at admission (ng/mL) | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 0.27 (3.18) | 0.13 (0.10) | 0.13 (0.24) | 0.14 (0.24) |
| ≥ 0.25% | 66.7 | 5.7 | 10.3 | 10.7 |
| ≥ 0.5% | 33.3 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
| Missing | 0 (0%) | 26 (74.3%) | 163 (70.0%) | 195 (69.4%) |
| Antibiotic use prior to admission | 1 (33.3%) | 7 (20.0%) | 31 (13.3%) | 43 (15.3%) |
Numbers are n (%) unless otherwise indicated. In 10 patients classification (as probable, possible and unlikely co-infection) was not possible due to inconclusive data
*Immunocompromised is defined as the use of chemotherapy for cancer, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, or prolonged use of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medications. CRP: C-reactive protein (CRP)