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Thrombocytopenia is associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections: A meta-analysis

Giuseppe Lippi1, Mario Plebani2, Brandon Michael Henry3

  • 1Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry
|March 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Low platelet count is a significant indicator of severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and mortality. This finding highlights its potential as a clinical marker for disease progression in hospitalized patients.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lacks established laboratory markers for severity assessment.
  • Investigating platelet count as a potential indicator for COVID-19 severity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if platelet count can differentiate between severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases.
  • To evaluate the association between thrombocytopenia and severe COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis was conducted on data from electronic searches of Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science.
  • Weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) were calculated to assess platelet count and thrombocytopenia in relation to COVID-19 severity.

Main Results:

  • Meta-analysis of 9 studies (1779 patients) showed significantly lower platelet counts in severe COVID-19 cases (WMD -31 × 10⁹/L).
  • Lower platelet counts were associated with mortality (WMD -48 × 10⁹/L).
  • Thrombocytopenia increased the risk of severe COVID-19 by over fivefold (OR, 5.1).

Conclusions:

  • Low platelet count is linked to increased risk of severe disease and mortality in COVID-19 patients.
  • Platelet count can serve as a clinical indicator of worsening illness during hospitalization.
Abstract

Keywords:
Coronavirus, COVID-19PlateletsThrombocytopenia

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