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. 2022 Aug 10;12(8):e057852. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057852

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of admitted patients without clinical suspicion of COVID-19 (N=15 690)

Patients without COVID-19 symptoms
(n=3113)
Patients with COVID-19-compatible symptoms attributed to an alternate diagnosis
(n=12 570)
Demographics
 Age, mean (SD) 57.6 (22.6) 64.6 (20.4)
 Female (%) 1418 (45.6) 5924 (47.1)
 Pregnant (%) 18 (0.6) 45 (0.4)
 Tobacco use (%) 491 (15.8) 1656 (13.2)
 Illicit substance use (%) 421 (13.5) 967 (7.7)
 Arrival by ambulance (%) 1724 (55.4) 7189 (57.2)
Arrival from (%)
 Home 2552 (82.0) 10 943 (87.0)
 Long-term care or rehab facility 217 (7.0) 832 (6.6)
 Unstable housing* 190 (6.1) 414 (3.3)
 Corrections 7 (0.2) 14 (0.1)
 Interfacility transfer 121 (3.9) 262 (2.1)
Risk for infection (%)
 Travel 32 (1.0) 134 (1.1)
 Institutional (LTC/prison) 231 (7.4) 721 (5.7)
 Household contact 28 (0.9) 144 (1.1)
 Occupational 10 (0.3) 38 (0.3)
 Unknown 1502 (48.2) 5377 (42.8)
Pre-ED goals of care (%)
 Full code 2946 (94.6) 11 259 (89.5)
 Intermediate GOC 18 (0.6) 173 (1.4)
 Do not resuscitate 149 (4.8) 1142 (9.1)
Acuity
 CTAS 1 (resuscitation) 241 (7.7) 1053 (8.4)
 CTAS 2 (emergent) 1000 (32.1) 5786 (46.0)
 CTAS 3 (urgent) 1527 (49.1) 5086 (40.4)
 CTAS 4 (less urgent) 295 (9.5) 572 (4.6)
 CTAS 5 (non-urgent) 40 (1.3) 59 (0.5)
Arrival vital signs, mean (SD)
 Heart rate, beats per minute 91.2 (21.2) 95.5 (23.9)
 Systolic BP, mm Hg 134.7 (25.1) 133.6 (27.9)
 Oxygen saturation (%) 96.6 (3.4) 95.7 (4.1)
 Respiratory rate, breaths per minute 18.6 (4.4) 21.2 (6.3)
 Temperature, °C 36.6 (0.6) 36.8 (0.9)
Comorbidities (%)
 Hypertension 951 (30.6) 5321 (42.3)
 Psychiatric condition 728 (23.4) 2134 (17.0)
 Dyslipidaemia 425 (13.6) 2434 (19.4)
 Diabetes 427 (13.7) 2577 (20.5)
 Chronic neuro disorder 322 (10.3) 1406 (11.2)
 Coronary artery disease 284 (9.1) 1796 (14.3)
 Rheumatological disorder 229 (7.4) 1249 (9.9)
 Dementia 199 (6.4) 696 (5.5)
 Active cancer 231 (7.4) 1647 (12.9)
 Chronic kidney disease 195 (6.3) 1319 (10.5)
 Chronic lung disease (not asthma) 199 (6.4) 1691 (13.5)
 Congestive heart failure 159 (5.1) 1392 (11.1)
 Asthma 125 (4.0) 712 (5.7)
 Obesity 57 (1.8) 344 (2.7)
Symptoms (%)
 Cough 2763 (22.0)
 Dyspnoea 4757 (37.8)
 Fever 2531 (20.1)
 General weakness 3183 (25.3)
 Chest pain 2714 (21.6)
 Diarrhoea 1339 (10.7)
 Nausea/vomiting 3345 (26.6)
 Headache 784 (6.2)
 Chills 957 (7.6)
 Myalgia 466 (3.7)
 Sore throat 374 (3.0)
 Altered consciousness 2502 (19.9)
 Dysgeusia/anosmia 41 (0.3)
ED diagnosis (%)
 Respiratory disease, not specified 8 (0.3) 118 (0.9)
 COPD exacerbation 11 (0.4) 648 (5.2)
 Asthma exacerbation <5 97 (0.8)
 Congestive heart failure 44 (1.4) 1003 (8.0)
 Shortness of breath, NYD 466 (3.6)
 Cough, NYD 63 (0.5)
 Fever, NYD 482 (3.8)
Outcome (%)
 Positive SARS-CoV-2 NAAT 13 (0.4) 109 (0.9)

*Unstable housing includes no fixed address, shelter, or single room occupancy.

BP, blood pressure; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CTAS, Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale; ED, emergency department; GOC, goals of care; LTC, long term care; NAAT, nucleic acid amplification test; NYD, not yet determined.