Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort at the time of presentation to the outpatient department
| Hospitalization during COVID-19 | No n = 30 | Yes n = 37 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) Mean ± SD | 41.1 ± 10.7 | 55.9 ± 12.5 | < 0.001 |
| Sex (n, %) | |||
| Female | 17 (56.7) | 13 (35.1) | 0.130 |
| BMI (kg/m2) mean ± SD | 25.3 ± 4.5 | 28.6 ± 5.3 | < 0.001 |
| Time from Dx (days) mean ± SD | 123.6 ± 69.4 | 147.5 ± 70.8 | 0.170 |
| Smoking status (n, %) | 0.322 | ||
| Active | 4 (13.3) | 2 (5.4) | |
| Former | 8 (26.7) | 16 (43.2) | |
| Never | 18 (60.0) | 18 (48.6) | |
| Unknown | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.7) | |
| Disease severity (n, %) | < 0.001 | ||
| WHO class | |||
| Mild | 20 (66.7) | 2 (5.4) | |
| Moderate | 10 (33.3) | 12 (32.4) | |
| Severe | 0 (0.0) | 7 (18.9) | |
| Critical | 0 (0.0) | 16 (43.2) | |
| ARDS (n, %) | |||
| yes | 0 (0.0) | 15 (40.5) | < 0.001 |
| Total no. of comorbidities median (IQR) | 0 (0–1) | 2 (0–3) | < 0.001 |
| Comorbidities (n, %) | |||
| Diabetes | 0 (0) | 6 (16.7) | 0.028 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 2 (6.7) | 9 (24.3) | 0.043 |
| Hypertension | 4 (13.3) | 13 (35.1) | 0.037 |
| Renal insufficiency | 0 (0) | 5 (13.9) | 0.011 |
| Adipositas | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | 0.030 |
| Liver disease | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | 0.003 |
| Thyroid dysfunction | 2 (6.7) | 4 (10.8) | 0.550 |
| Neurological disease / myopathies | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | – |
| Asthma | 8 (26.7) | 5 (13.5) | 0.176 |
| COPD | 0 (0) | 1 (2.7) | 0.364 |
| Other lung disease | 1 (3.3) | 1 (2.7) | 0.880 |
| PFT (%) | |||
| Mean ± SD | |||
| FVC | 98.2 ± 12.4 | 83.7 ± 21.5 | 0.002 |
| FEV1 | 97.2 ± 11.9 | 87.3 ± 18.0 | 0.012 |
| FEV1/FVC | 99.3 ± 8.0 | 105.7 ± 8.6 | 0.003 |
| RV | 107.4 ± 28.3 | 91.4 ± 28.4 | 0.025 |
| TLC | 103.5 ± 14.5 | 87.5 ± 18.9 | < 0.001 |
| FRC | 96.3 ± 21.6 | 82.2 ± 21.9 | 0.012 |
| DLCO | 83.0 ± 12.6 | 68.8 ± 17.7 | 0.001 |
| PFT Pattern (n, %) | |||
| Restrictive | 1 (3.3) | 13 (35.1) | < 0.001 |
| Obstructive | 3 (10.0%) | 1 (2.7%) | 0.210 |
| 6MWT | |||
| Mean ± SD | |||
| 6MWD (m) | 607.0 ± 53.7 | 514.7 ± 127.2 | < 0.001 |
| CBG (mmHg) | |||
| Median (IQR) | |||
| ΔPaO2 | 1.5 (− 7.8–5.2) | − 7.8 (− 12.1–− 0.4) | 0.021 |
| ΔPaCO2 | 0.8 (− 0.8–2.4) | − 0.5 (− 1.1–− 2.2) | 0.406 |
| Dyspnea (Borg CR10) | |||
| Median (IQR) | |||
| Difference | 1.00 (0.62–3.00) | 2.00 (0.50–2.25) | 0.984 |
| Mean ± SD | |||
| At rest | 0.4 ± 0.8 | 0.6 ± 1.1 | 0.462 |
| Exercise | 2.2 ± 1.7 | 2.3 ± 1.7 | 0.829 |
| Productivity (modified WPAI) | |||
| Median (IQR) | 5.5 (3.0–11.5) | 10.0 (4.0–15.25) | 0.104 |
| PCFS Scale | |||
| Median (IQR) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) | 0.698 |
SD Standard deviation, BMI Body Mass Index, Dx Diagnosis, IQR Interquartile Range, ARDS Acute respiratory distress syndrome, No Number, COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, PFT Pulmonary Function Test, FVC Forced vital capacity, FEV1 Forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1/FVC Tiffeneau-Pinelli index, RV Residual volume, TLC Total lung capacity, FRC Functional residual capacity, DLCO Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, 6MWT 6-min walk test, CBG Capillary blood gas, Δ Difference between Rest and Exercise, CR Category ratio, WPAI Work Productivity and Activity Index, PCFS Post-COVID-19 Functional Status