Clinical and Laboratory Predictors of COVID-19 Severity: Identifying Key Biomarkers for Risk Stratification and Patient Outcomes

Identifying clinical and laboratory markers associated with COVID-19 severity can aid in risk stratification and management. This study investigates the correlation between demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters with disease severity and patient outcomes. This study encompassed all COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Thi-Qar, Iraq, from January 2020 to February 2022. A total of 148 COVID-19 patients were evaluated. Two skilled chest radiologists separately examined all Computed Tomography (CT) scans. Key variables, including age, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, Oxygen saturation (O₂ Sat), white blood cell count (WBC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), potassium (K), albumin (Alb), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23. The variables of age, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, O₂ Sat, WBC, BUN, K, Alb, CPK, CRP, and LDH were significantly associated with the severity of the disease. The results found strong correlations between clinical and laboratory variables and CT severity scores, with oxygen saturation demonstrating a negative correlation with CT severity in both discharged (-0.41, P<0.001) and expired (-0.344, P=0.003) patients. WBC and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) were positively correlated with CT severity in both patient groups, while LDH and CRP exhibited strong positive correlations with CT severity in both discharged and expired patients. Additionally, serum albumin showed a negative correlation with CT severity in discharged patients, and potassium had a positive correlation in the discharged group. In expired patients, total bilirubin exhibited a negative correlation with CT severity. Comorbidities such as ischemic heart disease and cancer also significantly influenced patient outcomes. Our study identifies the significant role of clinical and laboratory parameters in predicting COVID-19 severity, highlighting the importance of early detection and intervention.