Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics (i.e. comorbidities, pharmacological treatments and haematochemical test results) of COVID-19 patients evaluated at their hospitalization.
| Variable | Category | All patients | Group A | Group B | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N=97) | (N=47) | (N=50) | |||
| Demographic | |||||
| Age (years) | Mean ± SD | 60.2 ± 15.7 | 57.2 ± 18.4 | 63.0 ± 12.1 | 0.070* |
| Range | 22–91 | 22–91 | 37–88 | ||
| Gender – N(%) | Females | 32 (33.0) | 19 (40.4) | 13 (26.0) | 0.195# |
| Males | 65 (67.0) | 28 (59.6) | 37 (74.0) | ||
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Pneumonia – N(%) | No | 7 (7.2) | 7 (14.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0.005# |
| Yes | 90 (92.8) | 40 (85.1) | 50 (100.0) | ||
| Unknown | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Obesity – N(%) | No | 66 (68.0) | 35 (74.5) | 31 (62.0) | 0.484# |
| Yes | 23 (23.7) | 9 (19.1) | 14 (28.0) | ||
| Unknown | 8 (8.2) | 3 (6.4) | 5 (10.0) | ||
| COPD – N(%) | No | 87 (89.7) | 45 (95.7) | 42 (84.0) | 0.088# |
| Yes | 6 (6.2) | 2 (4.3) | 4 (8.0) | ||
| Unknown | 4 (4.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (8.0) | ||
| T2D – N(%) | No | 76 (78.4) | 36 (76.6) | 40 (80.0) | 0.618# |
| Yes | 20 (20.6) | 11 (23.4) | 9 (18.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Hypertension – N(%) | No | 49 (50.5) | 30 (63.8) | 19 (38.0) | 0.015# |
| Yes | 47 (48.5) | 17 (36.2) | 30 (60.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Renal failure – N(%) | No | 92 (94.8) | 43 (91.5) | 49 (98.0) | 0.051# |
| Yes | 4 (4.1) | 4 (8.5) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Malignancy – N(%) | No | 91 (93.8) | 45 (95.7) | 46 (92.0) | 0.555# |
| Yes | 4 (4.1) | 2 (4.3) | 2 (4.0) | ||
| Unknown | 2 (2.1) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (4.0) | ||
| CVD – N(%) | No | 71 (73.2) | 37 (78.7) | 34 (68.0) | 0.302# |
| Yes | 25 (25.8) | 10 (21.3) | 15 (30.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Neurological diseases – N(%) | No | 85 (87.6) | 39 (83.0) | 46 (92.0) | 0.114# |
| Yes | 11 (11.3) | 8 (17.0) | 3 (6.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Liver disease – N(%) | No | 87 (89.7) | 44 (93.6) | 43 (86.0) | 0.488# |
| Yes | 9 (9.3) | 3 (6.4) | 6 (12.0) | ||
| Unknown | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| Pharmacological treatments (before hospitalization) | |||||
| Drug treatments – N(%) | No | 23 (23.7) | 12 (25.5) | 11 (22.0) | 0.154# |
| Yes | 58 (59.8) | 24 (51.1) | 34 (68.0) | ||
| Unknown | 16 (16.5) | 11 (23.4) | 5 (10.0) | ||
| ACE inhibitors – N(%) | No | 65 (67.0) | 32 (68.1) | 33 (66.0) | 0.035# |
| Yes | 14 (14.4) | 3 (6.4) | 11 (22.0) | ||
| Unknown | 18 (18.6) | 12 (25.5) | 6 (12.0) | ||
| Yes | 4 (4.1) | 2 (4.3) | 2 (4.0) | ||
| Unknown | 16 (16.5) | 11 (23.4) | 5 (10.0) | ||
| Antibiotics – N(%) | No | 65 (67.0) | 27 (57.4) | 38 (76.0) | 0.139# |
| Yes | 16 (16.5) | 9 (19.1) | 7 (14.0) | ||
| Unknown | 16 (16.5) | 11 (23.4) | 5 (10.0) | ||
| Haematochemical Blood test | |||||
| PaO2/FiO2 (ratio) | Mean ± SD | 299.1 ± 111.2 | 372.4 ± 87.1 | 230.1 ± 84.0 | <0.001* |
| Range | 110–524 | 193–524 | 110–405 | ||
| White blood cell counts (cells/mm3) | Median [IQR] | 5.8 [4.8–8.6] | 5.4 [4.8–6.7] | 7.5 [5.0–9.2] | 0.033° |
| Range | 2.2–27.9 | 2.6–27.9 | 2.2–19.4 | ||
| Neutrophils (cells/mm3) | Median [IQR] | 4.0 [3.0–6.5] | 3.6 [2.8–4.6] | 5.5 [3.5–7.9] | 0.004° |
| Range | 1.3–26.1 | 1.4–26.1 | 1.3–17.2 | ||
| Lymphocytes (cells/mm3) | Median [IQR] | 1.0 [0.6–1.5] | 1.2 [0.9–1.7] | 0.8 [0.5–1.1] | <0.001° |
| Range | 0.1–5.7 | 0.5–3.2 | 0.1–5.7 | ||
| Hb (g/dl) | Mean ± SD | 13.7 ± 1.8 | 13.4 ± 2.2 | 14.1 ± 1.3 | 0.085* |
| Range | 5.5––17.6 | 5.5–17.6 | 11.4–16.6 | ||
| LDH (U/L) | Median [IQR] | 262.0 [213.0–325.0] | 226.5 [189.0–278.2] | 294.0 [243.5–383.5] | 0.001° |
| Range | 89–889 | 89–847 | 175–889 | ||
| CRP (mg/dl) | Median [IQR] | 3.7 [1.7–9.1] | 2.6 [1.4–5.6] | 5.2 [2.4–13.9] | 0.018° |
| Range | 0.0–30.5 | 0.1–19.6 | 0.0–30.5 | ||
| Ferritin (ng/ml) | Median [IQR] | 382.5 [215.2–863.5] | 270.0 [171.0–388.0] | 589.0 [343.5–1268.5] | <0.001° |
| Range | Oct-90 | 10–1610 | 15–5390 | ||
| Fibrinogen (mg/dl) | Mean ± SD | 604.2 ± 218.3 | 549.5 ± 195.8 | 664.1 ± 228.1 | 0.013* |
| Range | 206–1328 | 206–1111 | 265–1328 | ||
| D-dimer (ng/ml) | Median [IQR] | 661.5 [437.0–993.5] | 598.5 [421.5–988.5] | 737.5 [490.2–984.5] | 0.376° |
| Range | 144–42885 | 148–42885 | 144–30145 | ||
| IL-6 | Median [IQR] | 13.7 [5.3–31.8] | 13.1 [6.5–31.2] | 16.6 [3.9–44.4] | 0.738° |
| Range | 1.7–507.9 | 3.7–46.0 | 1.7–507.9 | ||
| Hospitalization (Clinical) Outcomes | |||||
| Intensive care unit admission – N(%) | No | 77 (79.4) | 47 (100.0) | 30 (60.0) | <0.001# |
| Yes | 20 (20.6) | 0 (0.0) | 20 (40.0) | ||
| Required ventilation – N(%) Ventilatory support required | No | 47 (48.5) | 47 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | <0.001# |
| NIV | 43 (44.3) | 0 (0.0) | 43 (86.0) | ||
| IOT | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) | ||
| IOT + NIV | 6 (6.2) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (12.0) | ||
| Final outcome – N(%) | Discharged | 81 (83.5) | 43 (91.5) | 38 (76.0) | 0.013# |
| Death | 8 (8.2) | 0 (0.0) | 8 (16.0) | ||
| Transferred | 8 (8.2) | 4 (8.5) | 4 (8.0) | ||
SD, Standard deviation; IQR, Interquartile Range (i.e. first-third quartiles); Range, Min-max range. Mild: Patients affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with mild symptoms (i.e. low-grade fever, dry cough, fatigue, headache, new loss of taste or smell, gastrointestinal upset, itchy, painful patches on skin); Severe: Patients affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with moderate or severe/critical symptoms (i.e. high-grade fever, chills, deep cough, fatigue and body aches, muscle pain, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, confusion/unresponsiveness, trouble staying awake, eye problems, bluish face/lips). COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. T2D, Type 2 diabetes. CVD, Cardiovascular disease. ACE, Angiotensin-converting enzyme. ARB, Angiotensin receptor blockers. NSAIDs, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Hb, Hemoglobin. LDH, lactate dehydrogenase. CRP, C-reactive protein. IL-6, Interleukin 6. Results are reported for all patients and are also stratified according to COVID-19 evolution. *p-value from two-sample test; °p-value from Mann–Whitney U test; #p-value from Fisher exact test.