Fig 1.
Enrolment, and inclusion in the primary analysis.
Electronic records were available for 2531 of 2531 patients (100%) of hospitalised COVID-19 cases. 373 cases were excluded due to age (>85 years), and 427 through incomplete blood parameter measurements. 388 cases received other immunosuppressants as well as or instead of dexamethasone and were excluded. 78 dexamethasone treated cases were excluded because the treatment was started before or after the window of interest.
Table 1.
The HI5 score algorithm.
Table 2.
Characteristics of the patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 according to treatment.
Fig 2.
Mortality at day 28 in cases not treated with dexamethasone.
Kaplan–Meier survival curves for 28-day mortality among patients who were not treated with dexamethasone with high (red line) or low (blue line) HI5 scores (a) or NEWS2 scores (b). Panel C, Kaplan-Meier survival curves for cases classified as high risk (High HI5 and High NEWS2, red line), intermediate risk (High HI5 or High NEWS2, green line), and low risk (Low HI5 and Low NEWS2, blue line). (d) Cox regression analysis for Age (per year of life), and HI5-NEWS2 risk status. All quoted hazard ratios are adjusted for age (aHR). At risk data are listed beneath plots. Time measured in days.
Fig 3.
Effect of dexamethasone on mortality at day 28.
(a) Kaplan–Meier survival curves for 28-day mortality among the whole cohort in those who were treated with dexamethasone (red line) vs untreated cases (blue line). (b-d) Kaplan–Meier survival curves for those treated with dexamethasone (red lines) vs untreated (blue lines) in HI5-NEWS2 high risk (b), intermediate risk (c) or low risk (d) groups. All quoted hazard ratios are adjusted for age. At risk data are listed beneath plots. Time measured in days. Cases censored before 28 days indicated by +.