TABLE 4

Clinical characteristics of patients before and after treatment by repeated measures ANOVA

Characteristic	Before treatment				After treatment (Day 3)						After treatment (Discharge or death)
	Methylprednisolone		Standard care		Methylprednisolone		P value	Standard care		P value	Methylprednisolone		P value	Standard care		P value
	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	P value	Mean	sd	P value	Mean	sd	P value	Mean	sd	P value
BORG score	7.7	1.7	7.14	2.6	4.8	2.2	<0.001	6.2	3.4	0.154	1.7	0.8	<0.001	1.8	1.8	0.001
SO2 percent	82.1	5.7	83.6	4.7	88.1	6.1	<0.001	80.5	8.3	0.03	92.7	2.6	<0.001	89.0	5.‏0	0.08
Systolic blood pressure, mmHg	121.4	15.2	124.0	14.6	127.6	15.3	0.049	122.8	20.0	0.544	126	14.0	0.009	124.5	35.3	0.75
Diastolic blood pressure, mmHg	76.1	9.4	75.3	7.7	78.0	8.8	0.28	74·0	14.2	0.76	74.7	9.0	0.54	74.0	8.2	0.33
Heart rate, beats·min⁻¹	93.9	13.2	84.6	15.3	82.0	11.9	<0.001	84.7	13.8	0.78	81.2	7.9	0.003	85.9	17.7	0.41
Respiratory rate, breaths·min⁻¹	23.7	4.6	21.4	4.5	20.8	3.1	0.001	23.1	5.09	0.047	18.6	2.4	<0.001	21.0	3.8	0.89
Body temperature °C	37.3	0.94	37.2	0.8	36.7	0.4	0.001	36.8	0.6	0.09	36.7	0.37	0.008	36.8	0.34	0.29
	no	%	no	%	no	%	P value	no	%	P value	No (32)	%	P value	No (16)	%	P value
GI Symptom	16	47.1	13	46.4	2	5.9	<0.001	5	17.9	0.18	1	3.1	<0.001	1	6.3	0.014
Myalgia	17	50	15	53.6	4	11.8	0.001	5	17.9	0.025	0	0.0	<0.001	1	6.3	0.025
Chest pain	7	20.6	5	17.9	2	5.9	0.025	2	7.1	0.16	1	3.1	0.014	1	6.3	0.32
Cough	23	67.6	16	57.1	12	35.3	0.003	12	42.9	0.16	6	18.8	<0.001	6	37.5	0.32
Need on Oxygen therapy	34	100	28	100	28	82.4	0.025	26	92.8	0.56	6	18.8	<0.001	6	37.5	0.003

SO2: Oxygen saturation; mmHg: Millimeter of mercury; min: Minute; °C: Centigrade; GI: Gastrointestinal; NA: Not available.

P value in the bold form is statistically significant (P value ˂0.05).