Hematological Parameters Predict Disease Severity and Progression in Patients with COVID-19: a Review Article

In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of no identifiable cause had been widely spreading in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. In late December 2019, the pathogen was identified as a new strain of coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and its associated disease, named Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). As of July 3, 2020, 10,906,822 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with 522,112 deaths, as reported by the World Health Organization. Given the developing situation with COVID-19, extensive studies are urgently needed that determine indicators of severity to provide evidence for health policymakers. This study aimed to review the currently available data on hematological parameters to predict disease severity in patients of COVID-19.

We performed a review using three electronic databases. Fourteen papers are included. In this review, we summarized the latest research highlighting the clinical features, pathogenesis, and diagnosis, with a concentration on hematological parameters that predict severity to help identify patients with severe disease. These indicators will help doctors know earlier which patients may need intensive care unit (ICU) care to manage their patients with an evidence-based protocol.

Most reviewed studies report hematological parameters that predict disease severity, including lymphopenia and elevated fibrin fragment D.

We recommend using these indicators in addition to others, like respiratory failure, shock, or multiple organs dysfunction syndrome, for disease classification in situations where there are insufficient ventilators or ICU beds to prioritize advanced medical services accordingly and to ensure the maximum provision of sufficient medical care.