TABLE 4

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

	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
Borg score	7.7±1.7	7.1±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*
S_pO₂ %	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±5.1	0.047*	18.6±2.4	<0.001*	21.0±3.8	0.89
Body temperature °C	37.3±0.9	37.2±0.8	36.7±0.4	0.001*	36.8±0.6	0.09	36.7±0.4	0.008*	36.8±0.3	0.29
GI symptoms	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 (50.0)	15 (53.6)	4 (11.8)	0.001*	5 (17.9)	0.025*	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 for 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*

Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%), unless otherwise stated. S_pO₂: arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry; GI: gastrointestinal; NA: not available. *: p<0.05.