Patient characteristics
| Baseline characteristics | Total (N=53) |
| Age, median years (Q1–Q3) | 62 (46–69) |
| Gender, n (%) | |
| Male | 36 (67.9) |
| Female | 17 (32.1) |
| Race, n (%) | |
| African American | 16 (30.2) |
| Asian | 2 (3.8) |
| Caucasian | 30 (56.6) |
| Hispanic | 1 (1.9) |
| Other | 4 (7.5) |
| BMI, median kg/m2 (Q1–Q3) | 28 (23.7–34.2) |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |
| Diabetes | 17 (32.1) |
| Congestive heart failure | 9 (17.0) |
| Coronary artery disease | 13 (24.5) |
| Hypertension | 14 (26.4) |
| Cirrhosis/liver failure | 4 (7.5) |
| Chronic kidney disease/renal failure | 12 (22.6) |
| Thrombocytopenia | 4 (7.5) |
| Malignancy | 8 (15.1) |
| Lung transplant | 7 (13.2) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 7 (13.2) |
| COVID-19 symptoms, n (%) | |
| Cough | 28 (52.8) |
| Shortness of breath | 40 (75.5) |
| Fever | 20 (37.7) |
| Hypoxaemia | 31 (58.5) |
| Chest pain | 1 (1.9) |
| Haemoptysis | 2 (3.8) |
| Fatigue | 3 (5.7) |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 2 (3.8) |
| X-ray findings of the chest infected with COVID-19, n (%) | |
| Bilateral infiltrates | 44 (83.0) |
| Unilateral infiltrates | 6 (11.3) |
| Pleural effusion | 8 (15.1) |
| CT findings of the chest infected with COVID-19, n (%) | |
| Consolidation | 23 (43.4) |
| Ground-glass infiltrates | 31 (58.5) |
| Interlobular septal thickening | 2 (3.8) |
| Mediastinal lymphadenopathy | 2 (3.8) |
| Pleural effusion | 14 (26.4) |
| Not done | 2 (3.8) |
| ARDS, n (%) | |
| No | 22 (41.5) |
| Mild | 10 (18.9) |
| Moderate | 15 (28.3) |
| Severe | 6 (11.3) |
| FiO2 – baseline at the time of bronchoscopy, median (Q1–Q3) | 0.40 (0.30–0.50) |
| PaO2 – baseline at the time of bronchoscopy, median mmHg (Q1–Q3) | n=43 90 (72–115) |
| ECMO, n (%) | 5 (9.4) |
| Respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, n (%) | 46 (86.8) |
| Ventilator mode, n (%) | n=46 |
| Pressure control | 20 (43.5) |
| Pressure support | 16 (34.8) |
| Volume control | 10 (21.7) |
| Driving pressure for pressure control, median cm H2O (Q1–Q3) | n=20/46 16 (11–18) |
| Driving volume, median mL (Q1–Q3) | n=10/46 390 (350–450) |
| PEEP, median cm H2O (Q1–Q3) | n=46 12 (8–14) |
*ARDS defined according to Berlin definition where PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 201–300 is mild, 101–200 is moderate and ≤100 is severe ARDS.
.ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; BMI, body mass index; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; FiO2, fractional inspired oxygen; PaO2, arterial oxygen tension ; PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure.