Blood Count Abnormalities Associated with Death in Patients Infected with SARS-COV-2 at the Ziguinchor EpidemicTreatment Center (ETC)

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-COV-2 infection is a real public health challenge for the World Health Organization and for our country. It is responsible for numerous hematological abnormalities in infected patients. Objectives: To describe the haemogram abnormalities in patients infected with SARS-COV-2 and to determine which ones are associated with death. Material and Method: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study from March 2020 to September 2021. The study included all patients hospitalized with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 who performed a blood count. We evaluated the blood count profile, the pathologies found and the associated blood count abnormalities. Results: A total of 263 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 63.77 years (range 12 - 90 years). The male sex represented 54.75% (n = 144) while the female sex was 45.25% (n = 119) (sex ratio = 1.21). The most common pathologies were: diabetes: 30.03% (n = 79), high blood pressure: 41.04% (n = 108), and Chronic kidney disease: 7.98 (n = 21). The abnormalities of the haemogram found were essential: anaemia 28.13% (n = 121), hyperleukocytosis with neutrophilic predominance: 29.3% (126), lymphopenia: 34.41% (n = 148), thrombocytopenia: 8.16% (n = 35). The search for hematological factors associated with death in patients showed a significant difference between hyperleukocytosis (p = 0.000) and lymphopenia (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: SARS-COV-2 disease was a mortality factor when associated with lymphopenia and hyperleukocytosis in our series.