White blood count and inflammatory markers in the patients with COVID-19 infection and severity of illness.

Objective: To assess whether hematological and inflammatory parameters can be useful in assessing severity of disease and predict mortality in patients with COVID-19. Study Design: Cross Sectional Comparative Retrospective. Setting: COVID ward and ICU, Central Park Teaching Hospital Lahore. Period: 23rd April 2021 to 23rd June 2021. Material & Methods: The study population was selected by convenient sampling and all patients admitted to the COVID ward and ICU during this time span of two months with positive COVID PCR were included in the study. Results: Among the study population 29(58%) were males while 21(42%) were females with male to female ratio of 1.38:1 and the difference was not found to be statistically significant. The mean age of the patients was 65.2±08 years. The complete blood parameters white blood count, absolute neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio were compared between groups and it was found that white blood count, absolute neutrophil count and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio was significantly different between different groups. Inflammatory markers like IL-6, ferritin, C-reative protein and d-dimers were also assessed in different severity groups and all were found to be significantly high in severe/critical group. Conclusion: it is concluded that simple inexpensive parameters like White blood count, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil count can be used to evaluate the severity of disease and to predict those patients who are at increased risk of mortality. In the similar way inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, D-dimers, IL-6 and ferritin can be used to group the disease severity and also to monitor the disease.