Characteristics All patients (n=239) Viral shedding duration<26 days (n=113) Viral shedding duration≥26 days (n=126) P
Age, y 63.0 (52.0, 72.0) 66.0 (54.0, 75.0) 61.5 (49.0, 69.0) 0.02
Male sex 120 (50.2%) 61 (54.0%) 59 (46.8%) 0.27
Symptoms
Fever 189 (79.1%) 89 (78.8%) 100 (79.4%) 0.91
Cough 191 (79.9%) 87 (77.0%) 104 (82.5%) 0.29
Sputum 125 (52.3%) 52 (46.0%) 73 (57.9%) 0.07
Dyspnea 86 (36.0%) 44 (38.9%) 42 (33.3%) 0.37
Palpitation 29 (12.1%) 18 (15.9%) 11 (8.7%) 0.09
Fatigue 81 (33.9%) 37 (32.7%) 44 (34.9%) 0.72
Diarrhea 53 (22.2%) 30 (26.5%) 23 (18.3%) 0.12
Nausea and vomiting 16 (6.7%) 6 (5.3%) 10 (7.9%) 0.42
Comorbidity
Hypertension 90 (37.7%) 42 (37.2%) 48 (38.1%) 0.88
Diabetes 30 (12.6%) 13 (11.5%) 17 (13.5%) 0.64
Cardiac disease a 30 (12.6%) 15 (13.3%) 15 (11.9%) 0.75
COPD 15 (6.3%) 7 (6.2%) 8 (6.3%) 0.96
Chronic renal insufficiency 3 (1.3%) 1 (0.9%) 2 (1.6%) 0.63
Immunosuppression b 6 (2.5%) 4 (3.5%) 2 (1.6%) 0.34
Severity score and laboratory finding upon admission Severity score and laboratory finding upon admission Severity score and laboratory finding upon admission Severity score and laboratory finding upon admission
APACHE II score 5.0 (3.0, 8.0) 6.0 (4.0, 8.0) 5.0 (2.0, 7.0) <0.01
SOFA score 0.0 (0.0, 2.0) 0.0 (0.0, 2.0) 0.0 (0.0, 2.0) 0.95
WBC count, ×109 /L 5.9 (4.7, 7.7) 5.6 (4.6, 7.8) 5.9 (4.8, 7.5) 0.66
Lymphocyte count, ×109 /L 1.3 (0.9, 1.7) 1.2 (0.8, 1.5) 1.4 (0.9, 1.8) <0.01
Platelet count, ×109 /L 229.0 (168.0, 304.0) 224.0 (164.0, 314.0) 229.0 (174.0, 304.0) 0.70
Creatinine level, μmol/L 69.0 (57.0, 82.0) 68.0 (57.0, 83.0) 70.0 (57.0, 80.0) 0.97
hs-CRP, mg/L 5.4 (1.2, 41.7) 8.9 (1.7, 49.5) 3.6 (0.9, 36.0) 0.03
AST level, U/L 25.0 (19.0, 37.0) 25.0 (19.0, 39.0) 26.0 (19.0, 34.0) 0.67
Creatine kinase level, U/L 56.0 (36.0, 96.0) 53.0 (35.0, 103.0) 56.5 (41.0, 90.0) 0.22
CK-MB, ng/mL 0.7 (0.4, 1.5) 0.8 (0.4, 1.7) 0.7 (0.4, 1.3) 0.69
IL-6, pg/mL 3.8 (1.7, 11.8) 4.1 (2.0, 21.4) 3.6 (1.5, 10.8) 0.08
Time to virological result, d Time to virological result, d
From illness onset to diagnosis 7.0 (3.0, 13.0) 4.0 (2.0, 8.0) 10.0 (6.0, 16.0) <0.01
From illness onset to ART start 5.0 (1.0, 12.0) 4.0 (1.0, 9.0) 7.0 (1.0, 14.0) <0.01
From illness onset to admission 15.0 (10.0, 21.0) 10.0 (7.0, 15.0) 19.0 (14.0, 31.0) <0.01
Viral shedding duration c 26.0 (20.0, 34.0) 20.0 (15.0, 22.0) 34.0 (29.0, 43.0) <0.01
Treatment or complication
ICU admission 33 (13.8%) 19 (16.8%) 14 (11.1%) 0.20
Septic shock 25 (10.5%) 11 (9.7%) 14 (11.1%) 0.73
ECMO 1 (0.4%) 0 (0.0%) 1 (0.8%) 0.34
CRRT 16 (6.7%) 8 (7.1%) 8 (6.3%) 0.82
Invasive mechanical ventilation
36 (15.1%)
18 (15.9%)
18 (14.3%)
0.72
Corticosteroid therapy 55 (23.0%) 30 (26.5%) 25 (19.8%) 0.22
Outcome
Progress to critical illness 45 (18.8%) 24 (21.2%) 21 (16.7%) 0.37
Day 28 mortality 33 (13.8%) 21 (18.6%) 12 (9.5%) 0.04