Table 1 Description of clinical characteristics and clinical course.

From: Characteristics and outcomes of clinically diagnosed RT-PCR swab negative COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study

 

RT-PCR-positive

(n = 468)

RT-PCR-negative

(n = 94)

p value

Demography

Male, n (%)

288 (61.5%)

57 (60.6%)

0.962 *

Median age (IQR)

68 (54–79)

67 (54.25–78)

0.638 †

Symptoms

Influenza-like syndrome, n (%)

341 (72.9%)

74 (78.7%)

0.293 *

Cough, n (%)

353 (75.4%)

71 (75.5%)

1.000 *

Fever, n (%)

389 (83.1%)

75 (79.8%)

0.530 *

Nasal discharge, n (%)

9 (1.9%)

3 (3.2%)

0.433 ‡

Shortness of breath, n (%)

312 (66.7%)

75 (79.8%)

0.017 *

Wheezing, n (%)

1 (0.2%)

4 (4.3%)

0.003 ‡

Anosmia, n (%)

12 (2.6%)

10 (10.6%)

0.001 *

Admission oxygen requirements (FiO2)

Room air, n (%)

254 (54.3%)

50 (53.2%)

0.937 *

24 to < 40%

108 (23.1%)

31 (33.0%)

0.058 *

40 to < 60%

8 (1.7%)

3 (3.2%)

0.405 ‡

 > 60%

98 (20.9%)

10 (10.6%)

0.030 *

Chest radiograph

Normal CXR

65/389 (16.7%)

7/77 (9.1%)

0.129 *

Typical COVID-19 CXR

195/389 (50.2%)

53/77 (68.8%)

0.004 *

Atypical COVID-19 CXR

106/389 (27.3%)

15/77 (19.5%)

0.201 *

Non-COVID abnormal CXR

23/389 (5.9%)

2/77 (2.6%)

0.403 ‡

Laboratory test

Lymphocytes ≥ 1.1

154/460 (33.5%)

25 (26.6%)

0.238 *

Lymphocytes 0.5–1.0

258/460 (56.1%)

65 (69.2%)

0.026 *

Lymphocytes < 0.5

43/460 (9.4%)

4 (4.3%)

0.152 ‡

CRP ≥ 100

230/448 (51.3%)

55/93 (59.1%)

0.209 *

CRP 10–99

186/448 (41.5%)

33/93 (35.5%)

0.336 *

CRP < 10

32/448 (7.1%)

5/93 (5.4%)

0.698 *

D-dimer ≥ 3000

42/225 (18.7%)

16/66 (24.2%)

0.411 *

D-dimer 2000–2999

29/225 (12.9%)

9/66 (13.6%)

1.000 *

D-dimer 1000–1999

64/225 (28.4%)

19/66 (28.8%)

1.000 *

D-dimer 500–999

63/225 (28.0%)

18/66 (27.3%)

1.000 *

D-dimer < 500

27/225 (12.0%)

4/66 (6.1%)

0.255 ‡

LDH ≥ 243

166/179 (92.7%)

48/51 (94.1%)

0.976 *

LDH < 243

13/179 (7.3%)

3/51 (5.9%)

1.000 ‡

CK ≥ 320

63/210 (30.0%)

16/64 (25.0%)

0.538 *

CK < 320

147/210 (70.0%)

48/64 (75.0%)

0.538 *

Ferritin ≥ 5000

13/259 (5.0%)

4/68 (5.9%)

0.761 ‡

Ferritin 1000–4999

94/259 (36.3%)

27/68 (39.7%)

0.706 *

Ferritin 500–999

73/259 (28.2%)

15/68 (22.1%)

0.390 *

Ferritin 300–499

38/259 (14.7%)

10/68 (14.7%)

1.000 *

Ferritin < 300

41/259 (15.8%)

12/68 (17.7%)

0.860 *

Clinical course

Median (IQR) days prior to admission

6 (3–10)

7 (4.25–13)

0.013 †

Median (IQR) length of stay

6 (4–10)

5 (2.25–6)

 < 0.001 †

Received ≥ 60% FiO2, n (%)

215 (45.9%)

25 (26.6%)

0.001 *

Died, n (%)

151 (32.3%)

15 (16.0%)

0.002 *

  1. CK, creatine kinase; CRP, C-reactive protein; EWS, early warning score; FiO2, inspiratory fraction of oxygen; IQR, interquartile range; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase.
  2. *Pearson’s Chi-squared test with Yates’ continuity correction.
  3. †Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction.
  4. ‡Fisher’s exact test for count data.
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