CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF COVID-19 PATIENTS AND THEIR INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Coronavirus is one of the pandemic diseases that infect millions of people worldwide. The aim of the study was a cross-sectional study of COVID-19 and its inflammatory markers in tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Samples of nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 150 COVID-19 patients. Blood samples were collected aseptically in three different tubes to measure serum ferritin, D-dimer and CBC. The samples were further analysed at the PCR laboratory, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. In the study, 100 samples were found positive based on PCR among 150 patients in which the D-dimer was reported to have a high relationship (95%) with inflammatory markers. Abnormal ferritin (87%), Hb (26%), neutrophil (73%) and abnormal lymphocytes were reported (63%) in patients. The relationship between the age factors with risk of inflammatory markers revealed that in the age group 61-80, ferritin, D-dimer, Hb, Neutrophil and lymphocytes were observed with abnormal levels 18, 20, 05, 14 and 13, respectively. The prevalence of COVID-19 infection was recorded as higher in males than females. The study showed that COVID-19 infection significantly affects the parameters, including abnormal ferritin levels in males 55% and females 32%. The male was reported with a high-level abnormal D-dimer (58%) than the female (37%). The other inflammatory markers, such as abnormal neutrophils and lymphocytes, counted 44 and 37% in males and females at 30 and 29%, respectively. The study concludes that an increase in inflammatory markers correlates with disease severity; this could be used as a significant prognostic factor of the disease. More advanced immunological studies need to explore the mechanism of COVID-19 with inflammatory markers.