Symptom Clusters

Exploratory factor analysis identified four distinct symptom clusters with high internal consistency. Respiratory symptom associations should be interpreted cautiously because the severity categories include respiratory criteria. The study assessed several symptom clusters across body systems. Symptoms within a cluster can interact multiplicatively and intensify one another. Many individual symptoms, including fever, shortness of breath, cough, vomiting, appetite loss, and dizziness, were significantly associated with severity. Systemic symptoms became progressively more associated with higher severity categories compared with mild categories. Pulmonary and respiratory symptoms were associated with higher severity.