Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio of Covid-19 Patients Admitted in Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, an Early Prognostic Marker

Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as an Early Prognostic Marker for COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. The emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic has prompted the need for reliable prognostic markers to assess disease severity and guide clinical management. While various biomarkers have been studied about COVID-19 prognosis, their accessibility and applicability in resource-constrained settings remain challenging. This study focused on the neutrophil Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), a routinely available parameter in complete blood counts, as a potential prognostic marker for COVID-19 patients in Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. This retrospective cross-sectional analytical study analyzed data from COVID-19 patients admitted. The study assessed the relationship between NLR and clinical outcomes, including discharge status, ICU admission, and mortality. The study also examined the correlation between NLR and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, another inflammatory marker commonly associated with COVID-19 severity. The study included 702 COVID-19 patients with varying age groups and clinical classifications. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in NLR among different age groups (p < 0.05) and a moderate positive correlation between NLR and CRP (Pearson coefficient = 0.469, p < 0.05). Furthermore, NLR showed a statistically significant difference among clinical outcomes (p < 0.05), with higher NLR values associated with worse clinical outcomes, such as ICU admission and mortality. Logistic regression analysis supported NLR as a predictor of clinical outcomes (p < 0.05), while age, gender, and comorbidities showed no significant association. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) emerged as a potential early prognostic marker for COVID-19 patients admitted to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. Higher NLR values were associated with increased CRP levels, worse clinical outcomes, and a higher ICU admission or mortality likelihood. However, further research in more extensive and diverse populations is needed to validate these findings and consider other confounding factors. Integrating NLR with other clinical parameters could enhance its predictive power and clinical utility in assessing COVID-19 severity and prognosis.