Volume 9, Number 11—November 2003
Research
Coronavirus-positive Nasopharyngeal Aspirate as Predictor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Mortality
Owen Tak-Yin Tsang*, Tai-Nin Chau*, Kin-Wing Choi*, Eugene Yuk-Keung Tso*, Wilina Lim†, Ming-Chi Chiu*, Wing-Lok Tong*, Po-Oi Lee*, Bosco Hoi Shiu Lam*, Tak-Keung Ng*, Jak-Yiu Lai*
, Wai-Cho Yu*, and Sik-To Lai*
, Wai-Cho Yu*, and Sik-To Lai*
Table 1
Symptoms of 218 patients with severe acute respiratory syndromea
| Symptoms | Positive RT-PCR for coronavirus n=156 (%) | Negative RT-PCR for coronavirus n=62 (%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time from symptoms onset to sample collection (days) | 4.5 ± 2.2 | 4.2 ± 2.4 | 0.366 |
| Fever | 155 (99) | 60 (97) | 0.139 |
| Chill | 120 (77) | 51 (82.3) | 0.388 |
| Malaise | 103 (66) | 34 (54.8) | 0.123 |
| Myalgia | 84 (53.8) | 30 (48.4) | 0.467 |
| Cough | 66 (42.3) | 27 (43.5) | 0.867 |
| Rigor | 65 (41.7) | 27 (43.5) | 0.800 |
| Headache | 49 (31.4) | 25 (40.3) | 0.210 |
| Anorexia | 37 (23.7) | 14 (22.6) | 0.858 |
| Sputum | 28 (18) | 13 (21) | 0.607 |
| Shortness of breath | 36 (23) | 5 (8.1) | 0.012 |
| Dizziness | 23 (14.7) | 17 (27.4) | 0.029 |
| Diarrhea | 22 (14.1) | 9 (14.5) | 0.937 |
| Sore throat | 21 (13.5) | 10 (16.1) | 0.611 |
| Runny nose | 15 (9.6) | 9 (14.5) | 0.297 |
| Chest pain | 13 (8.3) | 8 (12.9) | 0.302 |
| Vomiting | 12 (7.7) | 5 (8) | 0.926 |
| Palpitation | 2 (1.3) | 2 (3.2) | 0.320 |
| Hemoptysis | 1 (0.6) | 1 (1.6) | 0.497 |
| Confusion | 1 (0.6) | 1 (1.6) | 0.497 |
aFisher exact test was applied if p value was <5; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; p values in bold are significant.
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