Table 1 Baseline demographical, clinical, and routine laboratory characteristics of 99 COVID-19 patients divided into three subgroups based on severity of the disease and 25 severe non-COVID-19 bacterial sepsis subjects. Data are expressed as median with IQR. For statistical analyses, Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher’s exact test was used, as appropriate. Significant differences were found in different comparisons indicated with variable symbols as follows: ^***p < 0.0001, ^**p < 0.001, ^*p < 0.05 in case of comparison between critically ill vs. severe COVID-19 patients; ^###p < 0.0001, ^##p < 0.001, ^#P < 0.05 when comparison between critically ill COVID-19 vs. critically ill bacterial sepsis patients, ^‡‡‡p < 0.0001, ^‡‡p < 0.001, ^‡P < 0.05 when comparison between severe vs. mild COVID-19 patients. Abbreviations: SOFA-score: Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, CRP: C-reactive protein, PCT: procalcitonin, IL-6: interleukin-6, GFR-CKD-EPI: Glomerular filtration rate - Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration, AST: aspartate transaminase, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, LDH: lactate dehydrogenase, WBC: white blood cell, PLT: platelet, MPV: mean platelet volume, ACE2: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, n.d.: not determined

Age (years) (median, IQR)

65 (55–75)

61 (52–66)

63 (56–72)

68 (49–74)

Sex (M/F)

23/17

26/14

7/12

14/11

Hospital stay (days) (median, IQR)

9.5 (6–18)

10 (6–13)

0

10 (7-12.5)

Mechanical ventilation (y/n, %)

37/3 (93)^***

2/38 (5)

-

11/14 (44)^#

SOFA-score

12 (10–14)^***

7 (3–10)

-

9 (5–10)

Horowitz index (P/F) (median, IQR)

95 (65–139)^**

154 (100–277)

-

n.d.

Lung manifestation by CT (%) (median, IQR)

70 (55–80)^*

55 (25–70)

-

n.d.

Mortality (n, %)

36 (90)^***

3 (7.5)

0 (0)

11 (44)^#

CRP (mg/L)

180 (131–271)^**

112 (30–241)

2.3 (0.9–12.8)^‡‡‡

175 (142–263)

PCT (µg/L)

0.5 (0.3–2.9)^***

0.05 (0.05–0.21)

n.d.

9.0 (4.5–26.5)^###

IL-6 (ng/L)

96.5 (38.8–330)^***

38.7 (3.8–52.0)

n.d.

162 (61.9-835.3)

Ferritin (µg/L)

1271 (776–2455)^***

613 (345–1031)

167 (30–468)^‡‡

n.d.

Urea (mmol/L)

8.6 (6.2–13.8)^***

5.5 (4.3–6.7)

5.3 (4.9-6.0)

12.7 (10.1–19.8)^##

Creatinine (µmol/L)

109.0 (82.5-159.8)^**

87.0 (79.3–98.5)

66.0 (59.0–78.0)^‡

219 (93.5-313.5)^#

GFR CKD-EPI (mL/min/1.73 m2)

59.5 (36.2–71.5)^*

67.0 (60.0-77.8)

88.0 (73.2–90.0)^‡

22.0 (15–58)^#

AST (U/L)

49.0 (38.5–55.8)^*

36.5 (27.3–50.3)

19.5 (15.0-25.3)^‡

45.0 (22.5–181)

ALT (U/L)

36.5 (23.0–69.0)

36.0 (26.3–54.0)

22.0 (14.5–29.8)^‡

42.0 (13.5-193.5)

LDH (U/L)

781 (674–1083)^***

530 (393–748)

192 (179–244)^‡‡

326 (251–455)^###

WBC count (G/L)

9.1 (6.6–13.8)^*

6.7 (5.4–10.1)

7.8 (5.9–9.5)

13.9 (7.7–19.8)^#

Hemoglobin (g/L)

131 (119–147)

140 (127–151)

136 (131–150)

108 (93–127)^###

PLT count (G/L)

237 (162–293)

213 (149–269)

239 (177–307)

174 (61–224)^#

MPV (fL)

8.3 (7.6–9.9)

8.1 (7.2–8.8)

9.2 (7.8–10.8)

11.7 (10.5–12.3)^###

ACE2 activity (mU/L)

50.5 (32.6–80.4)^**

34.7 (25.4–49.7)

n.d.

n.d.

Hypertension (y/n, %)

37/3 (93)^*

28/12 (70)

13/6 (68)

19/6 (76)^##

Diabetes mellitus

10/30 (25)

12/28 (30)

3/16 (16)

12/13 (48)

Cardiac decompensation

14/26 (35)

8/32 (20)

0/0 (0)

5/20 (20)

Atrial fibrillation

12/28 (30)^*

4/36 (10)

0/0 (0)

7/18 (28)

Renal insufficiency

13/27 (32.5)^**

3/37 (7.5)

0/0 (0)

14/11 (56)