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Volume 10, Number 6—June 2004
Research

Epidemiologic Clues to SARS Origin in China

Rui-Heng Xu*, Jian-Feng He*, Meirion R. Evans†‡Comments to Author , Guo-Wen Peng*, Hume E Field§, De-Wen Yu*, Chin-Kei Lee¶, Hui-Min Luo*, Wei-Sheng Lin*, Peng Lin*, Ling-Hui Li*, Wen-Jia Liang*, Jin-Yan Lin*, and Alan Schnur#1
Author affiliations: *Guangdong Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China; †University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom; ‡National Public Health Service for Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom; §Animal Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; ¶Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; #World Health Organization, Beijing, China

Main Article

Table 3

Prevalence (%) of symptoms on admission to hospital, SARS patients, Guangdong, China, November 2002–April 2003a

Symptoms All (n = 662) Adults (18–64 y) (n = 534) Children (<18 y) (n = 51) OR (95% CI) p Older persons (> 65 y) (n = 66) OR (95% CI) p
Fever
97.4
97.4
98.0
1.4 (0.2 to 29.3)

98.5
1.8 (0.3 to 37.9)

Chills
51.8
56.0
31.4
0.4 (0.2 to 0.7)
0.002
37.9
0.5 (0.3 to 0.8)
0.008
Malaise
42.3
45.7
23.5
0.4 (0.2 to 0.7)
0.004
31.8
0.5 (0.3 to 1.0)

Headache
40.0
42.1
25.5
0.5 (0.2 to 0.9)
0.03
43.1
0.7 (0.4 to 1.3)

Muscle ache
30.8
35.0
5.9
0.1 (0.0 to 0.3)
<0.001
16.7
0.4 (0.2 to 0.7)
0.004
Cough
69.8
60.0
82.4
2.2 (1.1 to 4.9)
0.05
80.3
1.9 (1.1 to 3.8)
0.05
Sputum
38.2
36.9
39.2
1.7 (0.9 to 3.3)

51.5
1.8 (1.1 to 3.1)
0.03
Sore throat
16.3
16.7
25.5
1.1 (0.6 to 2.0)

6.1
0.3 (0.1 to 0.8)
0.04
Runny nose
7.4
6.7
15.7
2.6 (1.1 to 5.7)
0.04
7.6
1.1 (0.4 to 2.8)

Breathing difficulty
26.7
27.0
11.8
0.4 (0.1 to 0.8)
0.03
43.3
1.8 (1 to 3.0)
0.05
Nausea
8.8
9.4
5.9
0.6 (0.1 to 1.8)

7.6
0.8 (0.3 to 2.0)

Vomiting
6.2
6.0
7.8
1.3 (0.4 to 3.7)

7.6
1.3 (0.4 to 3.3)

Diarrhea 8.6 9.0 7.8 0.9 (0.3 to 2.3) 7.6 0.8 (0.3 to 2.2)

aSARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome; OR, odds ratio, using adults as the reference group; CI, confidence interval.

Main Article

1Drs. Evans, Field, and Lee were consultants for the World Health Organization; they assisted in its Beijing office.

Page created: February 22, 2011
Page updated: February 22, 2011
Page reviewed: February 22, 2011
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