LABORATORY SPECTRUM OF COVID-19 PATIENTS AND VARIATIONS WITH CO-MORBIDITIES: A STUDY IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF NORTHERN INDIA

Sumeet Sidhu*, Gurpreet Bahia and Gurpreet Singh Battu

ABSTRACT

Background: The first case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was described in Wuhan, December 2019. The virus has evolved into a pandemic over a short period of time with rapidly increasing cases and associated morbidity and mortality. Laboratory parameters like inflammatory markers and tests of fibrinolytic pathway play an important role in diagnosis and prognostication of the disease. Methods: It is a retrospective observational study. One hundred and fifty four hospitalized patients with diagnosis of COVID-19 over a period of 2.5 months were enrolled in the study. Laboratory parameters, presenting complaints and co-morbidities were recorded and studied. Statistical analysis was done using percentage, mean and two tailed T test. Results: The median age of presentation was 57.5 years. Lymphopenia was observed in 48.7% and thrombocytopenia in 24% cases. Amongst inflammatory markers, serum Ferritin was raised in 81.7%, Interleukin-6 in 76.4% and C-reactive protein in 99.2% of the patients. D-dimer analysis showed raised levels in 80.3% patients. The median age of patients with co morbidities was 61.26 years as compared to earlier presentation at 52.37 years in cases with no underlying disease (p value 0.000152). Patients with co-morbidities were associated with statistically significant higher C-reactive protein levels (p value 0.0318) and higher absolute neutrophil count (p value 0.039). Differential counts showed lower lymphocyte counts (p value 0.0329) and higher neutrophil counts (p value 0.0499) in patients with co-morbidities.

Keywords: COVID, co-morbidities, D-dimer, Inflammatory markers.