The role of human Metapneumovirus genetic diversity and nasopharyngeal viral load on symptom severity in adults

Table 2 Assessment of demographical and virological predictors for symptom severity in HMPV-infected patients

Characteristics	TSSS (mean ± SD)	p	β	p*
HMPV genotype
A, n = 40	11.53 ± 4.44	0.194^a	1.329	0.194
B, n = 41	12.85 ± 4.67		ref.
HMPV sub-lineage
A2b, n = 25	11.16 ± 4.12	0.306^b	ref.
Unique A2 sub-lineage, n = 15	12.13 ± 5.03		0.973	0.515
B1, n = 25	13.56 ± 4.42		2.400	0.067
B2, n = 16	11.75 ± 4.99		0.590	0.687
Estimated no. of days elapsed between symptom onset and enrollment date	r = 0.106	0.348^c	0.153	0.348
≤ 1–2 days, n = 20	10.95 ± 4.77	0.373^b	− 1.578	0.221
3–5 days, n = 36	12.53 ± 4.35		ref.
≥ 6 days, n = 25	12.72 ± 4.75		0.192	0.872
Sex
Male, n = 29	12.41 ± 4.73	0.753^a	− 0.337	0.753
Female, n = 52	12.08 ± 4.54		ref.
Age	r = −0.335	0.002 ^c	− 0.080	0.002
< 65 years old, n = 65	12.86 ± 4.55	0.008 ^a	ref.
≥ 65 years old, n = 16	9.50 ± 3.71		−3.362	0.008
Ethnicity
Chinese, n = 19	10.11 ± 4.31	0.054^b	− 2.763	0.030#
Malay, n = 38	12.87 ± 4.02		ref.
Indian, n = 21	13.33 ± 5.25		0.465	0.701
Others, n = 3	9.00 ± 4.36		− 3.868	0.151
Viral Load (log₁₀ RNA copies/μl), n = 78	r = −0.118	0.303^c	− 0.206	0.584

TSSS: Total symptom severity score, n: number of patients, SD: standard deviation, ref. category with the highest number of patients is chosen as reference
^aP-value calculated by Independent Samples t-Test
^bP-value calculated by One-way ANOVA
^cP-value calculated by bivariate correlations
p*: p-value calculated by simple linear regression
r: Pearson’s correlation coefficient
β: linear regression coefficient
statistically significant comparisons (p < 0.05) are in bold
#p-value for significance was adjusted by Bonferroni correction to p < 0.0083 (0.05/6)

ISSN: 1743-422X