Dietary intake of healthcare workers stratified by self-report of following plant-based diet among COVID-19 cases (n=568)*
| Followed plant-based diet (n=41) | Did not follow plant-based diet (n=527) | P value | |
| Dietary intake, times/week (mean, SD) | |||
| Total fruits | 9.8 (6.4) | 8.5 (6.5) | 0.23 |
| Total vegetables | 14.5 (8.7) | 10.4 (7.1) | <0.001 |
| Potatoes | 2.1 (1.9) | 2.1 (1.8) | 0.90 |
| Legumes | 3.7 (2.9) | 1.9 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Nuts | 3.5 (2.6) | 2.3 (2.9) | 0.01 |
| Refined grains | 7.5 (5.5) | 8.6 (5.2) | 0.17 |
| Dark or whole grain breads | 2.5 (2.2) | 2.2 (2.5) | 0.55 |
| Sweets and desserts | 5.8 (5.8) | 6.8 (6.9) | 0.35 |
| Eggs | 2.0 (1.8) | 2.3 (1.9) | 0.30 |
| Dairy | 12.9 (9.1) | 13.3 (7.9) | 0.73 |
| Poultry | 1.2 (1.5) | 2.3 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Red and processed meats | 1.3 (2.3) | 3.8 (2.8) | <0.001 |
| Fish and seafood | 2.5 (2.7) | 3.1 (2.6) | 0.12 |
| Soups | 1.4 (1.7) | 1.4 (1.4) | 0.78 |
| Croquettes, dumplings, pizza | 0.8 (0.8) | 1.0 (1.0) | 0.14 |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages | 1.1 (2.1) | 2.5 (3.4) | 0.01 |
| Fruit juices | 0.4 (0.9) | 1.0 (1.9) | 0.06 |
| Vegetable oil | 3.6 (3.3) | 3.8 (3.2) | 0.67 |
| Butter | 1.4 (2.0) | 1.9 (2.3) | 0.15 |
| Alcohol | 2.2 (3.0) | 3.7 (4.3) | 0.03 |
| Coffee | 6.5 (5.1) | 7.7 (6.8) | 0.27 |
| Tea | 1.9 (2.5) | 2.1 (3.6) | 0.68 |
Bold font denotes statistically significant associations.
*Cases are defined as individuals with self-reported COVID-19-like illness (fever, coughing, fatigue, loss of taste or smell) or a positive PCR or antibody test. P value comparing those following a plant-based diet versus those not following a plant-based diet among cases. Details on these food groups are presented in online supplemental table 1.