Association of Neutrophilia with Disease Severity in Patients with COVID-19: Neutrophilia and its Association with COVID-19

Aiman Mahmood Minhas; Nimrah  Ishaque; Ayisha  Imran; Nauman  Aslam Malik; Akhtar  Sohail Chughtai

doi:10.54393/pbmj.v6i09.935

Authors

Aiman Mahmood Minhas Department of Hematology, Chughtai Lab, Lahore, Pakistan
Nimrah Ishaque Department of Hematology, Chughtai Lab, Lahore, Pakistan
Ayisha Imran Department of Hematology, Chughtai Lab, Lahore, Pakistan
Nauman Aslam Malik Department of Hematology, Chughtai Lab, Lahore, Pakistan
Akhtar Sohail Chughtai Chughtai Lab, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v6i09.935

Keywords:

COVID-19, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Leukocytes

Abstract

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic with limited data on prediction of disease severity and management of critically-ill patients. Objective: To assess associations between routine Haematologica parameters especially neutrophil counts and severity in COVID-19 patients. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study involving 133 non-severe and 120 severe category patients. This study was conducted at Chughtai Institute of Pathology from 1^st June till 31^st August, 2020. The association of severity with parameters was determined using Chi-square and Fisher´s Exact test. Results: Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) and NLR were significantly higher in Severe Group category. Neutrophilia and raised NLR were observed in 81.7% and 93% of the severe group respectively. Lymphopenia was observed in only 36.7% of Severe Group. Comorbidities such as, hypertension (82,1%), diabetes (85.5%), IHD (100%) and COPD (83.9%) had significantly high frequency of increased NLR. Also, clinical symptoms like fever (77.9%), cough (80.9%), shortness of breath (94.3%) and abdominal symptoms (88.2%) also had same significant association. Conclusions: It was observed that high NLR ≥ 3 was associated with severe disease along with high ANC. However, lymphopenia as expected, was not observed in significant population. Instead, neutrophilia was a more consistent finding in the concerned group.

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