Characteristics of the COVID-19 patients and sick controls at admission
| COVID-19 group | Sick controls |
| Age (median, IQR): 50.5 (39.3–66.0) | Age (median, IQR): 56 (30-64) |
| Sex (% male): 58 | Sex (% male): 74 |
| Comorbidities | Illnesses |
| Hypertension- 26 (50%) | Pneumonia/sepsis/pleural effusion/pulmonary embolism- 10 (37%) |
| Coronary artery disease- 8 (16%) | Acute heart failure- 3 (11%) |
| Heart failure- 9 (17%) | Cancer- 2 (7%) |
| Chronic kidney disease- 6 (12%) | Diabetic ketoacidosis- 2 (7%) |
| Chronic liver disease- 7 (13%) | Myasthenia gravis- 1 (4%) |
| Cerebrovascular disease- 7 (13%) | Encephalitis-1 (4%) |
| Cancer- 4 (8%) | Postliver transplant- 1 (4%) |
| Atrial fibrillation- 3 (6%) | Seizure-1 (4%) |
| Hyperlipidaemia- 15 (29%) | Peptic ulcer bleed-1 (4%) |
| Diabetes mellitus- 21 (40%) | Haemorrhagic stroke-1 (4%) |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease- 8 (16%) | Cardiac arrest-1 (4%) |
| Smoking (current or former)- 23 (44%) | Hyponatraemia-1 (4%) |