Assessing the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection on hematological parameters

Abstract

Abstract Background The current study is a retrospective study designed to evaluate changes in complete blood count and coagulation parameters in adult coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at a prominent Saudi tertiary center to predict disease severity and mortality. Methods The cohort consisted of 74 800 adult patients divided into four groups based on a COVID-19 test and the patient’s sex: 35 985 in the female negative COVID-19 group, 23 278 in the male negative COVID-19 group, 8846 in the female positive COVID-19 group and 6691 in the male positive COVID-19 group. Results Patients with COVID-19 demonstrated decreased white blood cell counts and increased red blood cell counts. Also, COVID-19–positive participants exhibited more prolonged partial thromboplastin time and lower D-dimer levels than those of COVID-19–negative subjects (p<0.05). The study also revealed gender-dependent impacts on platelet counts, implying a possible relationship with the greater infection mortality rate in men than in women (p<0.001). In addition, the study found a link between changes in coagulation test results and death in COVID-19 patients (p<0.001). The evidence regarding the effects of COVID-19 on blood cell counts and coagulation, on the other hand, is conflicting, most likely due to variances in study populations and the timing of testing postinfection. Conclusions According to the findings, COVID-19–related alterations in blood cell count and clotting ability may be risk factors for death.