TABLE 1.
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics1
| Characteristic | Vitamin D3 group (n = 101) | Placebo group (n = 99) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 55.3 ± 14.2 | 55.7 ± 14.5 |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 58 (57.4) | 51 (51.5) |
| Female | 43 (42.6) | 48 (48.5) |
| Race or ethnicity | ||
| White | 52 (51.5) | 59 (59.6) |
| Pardo2 | 32 (31.7) | 30 (30.3) |
| Black | 16 (15.8) | 10 (10.1) |
| Asian | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0) |
| Time from symptom onset to randomization, d | 10.0 [7.0–12.5] | 10.0 [7.0–14.0] |
| Time from symptom onset to hospital discharge, d | 17.0 [13.0–21.0] | 18.0 [15.0–22.0] |
| Time from hospital admission to randomization, d | 1.0 [1.0–2.0] | 1.0 [1.0–2.0] |
| Time for hospital length of stay, d | 6.0 [4.0–8.0] | 7.0 [5.0–10.0] |
| BMI,3 kg/m2 | 32.2 ± 6.7 | 32.1 ± 7.5 |
| BMI category, kg/m2 | ||
| <18.5 | 0 (0) | 1 (1.1) |
| 18.5–24.9 | 8 (8.6) | 13 (14.4) |
| 25.0–29.9 | 29 (31.2) | 24 (26.7) |
| ≥30 | 56 (60.2) | 52 (57.8) |
| Acute COVID-19 symptoms | ||
| Cough | 87 (86.1) | 82 (82.8) |
| Fatigue | 81 (80.2) | 86 (86.9) |
| Fever | 73 (72.3) | 69 (69.7) |
| Myalgia | 61 (60.4) | 60 (60.6) |
| Joint pain | 42 (41.6) | 33 (33.3) |
| Runny nose | 36 (35.6) | 37 (37.4) |
| Diarrhea | 33 (32.7) | 40 (40.4) |
| Nasal congestion | 34 (33.7) | 34 (34.3) |
| Sore throat | 36 (35.6) | 23 (23.2) |
| Coexisting diseases | ||
| Hypertension | 54 (53.5) | 49 (49.5) |
| Diabetes | 39 (38.6) | 29 (29.3) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 14 (13.9) | 13 (13.1) |
| Rheumatic disease | 10 (9.9) | 10 (10.1) |
| Asthma | 6 (5.9) | 7 (7.1) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 5 (5.0) | 5 (5.1) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 2 (2.0) | 0 (0) |
| Concomitant medications | ||
| Anticoagulant | 94 (93.1) | 85 (85.9) |
| Antibiotic | 85 (84.2) | 86 (86.9) |
| Glucocorticoid | 67 (66.3) | 63 (63.6) |
| Antihypertensive | 55 (54.5) | 46 (46.5) |
| Proton pump inhibitor | 40 (39.6) | 41 (41.4) |
| Antiemetic | 39 (38.6) | 49 (49.5) |
| Analgesic | 39 (38.6) | 46 (46.9) |
| Hypoglycemic | 23 (22.8) | 20 (20.2) |
| Hypolipidemic | 14 (13.9) | 14 (14.1) |
| Thyroid | 8 (7.9) | 8 (8.1) |
| Antiviral4 | 4 (4.0) | 3 (3.0) |
| Dose of glucocorticoid at randomization,5 mg | 5.1 ± 10.3 | 4.2 ± 4.3 |
| Cumulative dose of glucocorticoid,5 mg | 45.7 ± 81.4 | 33.6 ± 33.0 |
| Oxygen supplementation | ||
| Oxygen therapy | 72 (71.3) | 82 (82.8) |
| Noninvasive ventilation | 13 (12.9) | 12 (12.1) |
| No oxygen therapy | 16 (15.8) | 5 (5.1) |
| Computed tomography findings | ||
| Ground-glass opacities ≥50% | 48 (53.3) | 53 (62.4) |
| Ground-glass opacities <50% | 42 (46.7) | 32 (37.6) |
Values are mean ± SD, median [IQR], or n (%). Continuous variables were analyzed by independent t test. Percentages were analyzed by chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.
Pardo is the exact term used in Brazilian Portuguese, meaning “mixed ethnicity,” according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.
BMI data were missing for 8.5% of patients (n = 17; 8 in the vitamin D3 group and 9 in the placebo group).
Included 3 patients from the vitamin D3 group and 3 patients from the placebo group receiving 75 mg oseltamivir twice per day for 5 d, and 1 patient from the vitamin D3 group receiving 400 mg acyclovir twice per day for herpes zoster prophylaxis.
Glucocorticoid information was standardized in dexamethasone doses.