ASSOCIATION OF ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTE COUNT & RDW WITH COVID19 PNEUMONIA SEVERITY

Abstract

Background and Aim: In February 2020, the WHO designated the disease COVID-19, which stands for Coronavirus disease 2019 & was declared pandemic on 11^th March 2020.The symptoms may vary from fever, malaise, headache, and myalgia in mild cases to adult respiratory distress syndrome accompanied by multiorgan dysfunction in severe cases. Lymphopenia and elevated RDW were common lab findings among hospitalized patients with COVID 19 RT PCR positive. The aim of this study was to evaluate Absolute Lymphocyte count & RDW in COVID 19 pneumonia patients & correlate with disease severity.

Materials and Methods: Hospital based descriptive epidemiological study(record based). Patients admitted in MBGH & COVID Dedicated Hospital ESIC, Udaipur wards and ICU diagnosed with COVID 19 pneumonia (based on nasal and throat swab COVID 19 RT PCR positive) were taken into the study. Blood samples for Absolute Lymphocyte count and Red cell distribution width (RDW) at the time of admission were taken and then correlated with clinical severity.

Results: In our study, we evaluated 110 patients of SARS COVID19 RT PCR positive . Mean RDW% was 14.76, 15.18, 15.78 among mild, moderate and severe category cases respectively. Severe clinical category cases had maximum RDW% of 15.78. Mean ALC with severe cases was 1037.8/mm³ as compared to 1128/mm³ and 1371.5/mm³ among moderate and mild cases respectively.

Conclusion: Among severe cases 37(71.15%) had RDW ≥14.5% whereas 15(28.85%) had RDW <14.5% which was statistically significant. Severe cases had more severe lymphopenia as compared to mild & moderate cases. Therefore elevated RDW and lower Absolute Lymphocyte Count correlated with clinical severity of the disease.