HEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES AND SURVIVAL OUTCOMES AMONG HOSPITALISED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new viral disease that affects multiple organs in the body. Identifying prognostic factors in COVID-19 can help manage the disease, especially in severe and critical cases. Objectives To investigate any change in hematology (CBC) combined with clinical features and their effects on mortality Patients and Methods This cross-sectional prospective study included 200 patients with SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by (RT-PCR). Results The mortality rate in this study was 8.5%. The mean age of the survived and non-survived patients was 61.62±14.94 and 69.30±10.16 years, respectively, with a significant difference. Hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure were more common among dead patients (73.91%, 65.22%, and 17.39%, respectively) than survived (51.8%, 42.94%, and 4.52%, respectively) with significant differences. Non-survived patients had significantly higher neutrophil count and C-reactive protein and lower lymphocyte and platelet count than survived patients. The median (NLR) and (SII) in non-survived patients were 12.16 and 2480, respectively, compared with 6 and 1496 in survived patients, with highly significant differences. Conclusion The mortality rate in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was within the context of the global rate. Demographically, advanced age and the presence of comorbidities, particularly diabetes and hypertension, are predictors for the development of severe infection in COVID-19 with a worse prognosis. Abnormal serum levels of CRP and high SII are indicators of severe inflammatory response and could increase the risk of mortality. Severe COVID-19 cases are associated with lymphopenia thrombocytopenia with no significant changes in hemoglobin.