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. 2022 Jan 25;72(716):e217–e224. doi: 10.3399/BJGP.2021.0344

Table 2.

Relationship between symptom severity at baseline and presence/absence of viruses and/or bacteria, age, and previous duration of flu-like illness symptomsa

Symptoms (major or moderate), effect Odds ratio 95% Wald confidence limit
Lower Upper
Fever (n= 3199)
  Negative versus viral 0.83 0.68 1.00
  Bacterial versus viral 0.85 0.50 1.45
  Mixed versus viral 1.33 0.93 1.91
  Adult versus childa 0.66 0.48 0.89
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 0.95 0.77 1.18
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 0.85 0.68 1.05
Nasal congestion, runny nose (n = 3204)
  Negative versus virala 0.56 0.48 0.66
  Bacterial versus virala 0.55 0.35 0.86
  Mixed versus viral 1.02 0.77 1.35
  Adult versus childa 0.71 0.56 0.90
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 1.12 0.94 1.34
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 1.16 0.96 1.39
Sore throat (n= 3175)
  Negative versus virala 1.29 1.09 1.52
  Bacterial versus viral 1.08 0.69 1.67
  Mixed versus viral 0.96 0.73 1.26
  Adult versus child 1.07 0.85 1.36
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 0.95 0.80 1.14
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 1.05 0.87 1.26
Headache (n= 3152)
  Negative versus viral 1.05 0.86 1.27
  Bacterial versus viral 1.21 0.72 2.02
  Mixed versus viral 1.01 0.75 1.36
  Adult versus childa 2.07 1.61 2.66
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 0.81 0.66 1.00
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 0.81 0.66 1.00
Cough (n= 3203)
  Negative versus virala 0.39 0.33 0.46
  Bacterial versus virala 0.42 0.27 0.65
  Mixed versus viral 0.98 0.73 1.32
  Adult versus childa 1.30 1.02 1.66
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1a 1.31 1.09 1.58
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1a 1.65 1.36 2.00
Muscle aches and/or pains (n= 3140)
  Negative versus viral 0.92 0.77 1.11
  Bacterial versus viral 0.72 0.45 1.16
  Mixed versus viral 0.84 0.63 1.12
  Adult versus childa 3.71 2.90 4.75
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 0.91 0.75 1.12
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 0.85 0.69 1.04
Diarrhoea (n= 3189)
  Negative versus virala 1.50 1.06 2.12
  Bacterial versus viral 0.69 0.21 2.26
  Mixed versus viral 0.94 0.51 1.74
  Adult versus child 0.84 0.51 1.38
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 1.30 0.85 1.98
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1a 1.62 1.07 2.45
Low energy, tiredness (n= 3192)
  Negative versus viral 1.02 0.82 1.27
  Bacterial versus viral 1.38 0.77 2.49
  Mixed versus viral 1.00 0.72 1.38
  Adult versus childa 2.31 1.77 3.01
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 day 1.18 0.94 1.49
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 day 1.03 0.81 1.30
Not sleeping well (n= 3188)
  Negative versus viral 0.92 0.78 1.09
  Bacterial versus viral 1.24 0.80 1.93
  Mixed versus viral 1.14 0.87 1.48
  Adult versus childa 1.34 1.07 1.69
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 2 versus 1 day 1.05 0.89 1.26
  Duration flu-like illness symptoms 3 versus 1 day 1.16 0.97 1.38
a

Superscript ‘a’ denotes symptoms with a confidence interval that does not include 1.0. When the confidence interval of the odds ratio includes 1, the odds of having the symptom in both categories are similar. Negative = presence of no viruses and no bacteria. Bacterial = no viruses and at least one bacterium. Viral = at least one virus and no bacteria. Mixed = at least one virus and at least one bacterium.