COVID-19 infection causes a reduction in neutrophil counts in patients taking clozapine

Monitoring of white cell counts during clozapine treatment leads to cessation of therapy if levels fall below predetermined values. Reductions in white cell counts, driven by lower levels of lymphocytes, have been observed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Neutropenia during COVID-19 has not been reported. We present data for 56 patients who were taking clozapine and had COVID-19.

We included patients who were taking clozapine at the time they tested positive for COVID-19. We compared absolute neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts and white cell counts between baseline and the first week of infection, and baseline and the second week of infection.

We observed reductions in absolute neutrophil counts (p = 0.005), lymphocyte counts (p = 0.003) and white cell counts (p < 0.001) between baseline and the first 7 days of COVID-19. All cell counts had returned to baseline levels by days 8 to 14. Six patients experienced neutropenia (absolute neutrophil counts < 2.0 × 109/L) and of those, 4 underwent mandatory cessation of clozapine. For 3 patients, clozapine treatment had been established for more than 6 months with no previous neutropenia, neutrophil levels returned to baseline within 2 weeks and no further neutropenia was observed on restarting treatment.

This was a retrospective chart review; larger cohorts are required. Clozapine plasma levels were largely not measured by clinicians.

These data strongly suggest that mild neutropenia in the acute phase of COVID-19 in patients who are well established on clozapine is more likely to be a consequence of the virus than of clozapine treatment.