Usefulness of the Hemogram in COVID-19

Abstract

SARS-CoV2 infection has devastating consequences on healthcare systems and has caused 3 million deaths by April 2021. Identifying patients at risk of death is a priority. Moderate¿severe COVID-19 cases seem to associate a cytokine release that follows endothelial injury, triggering a hyperinflammatory and procoagulant state in which leukocytes and platelets are protagonists. Our group has published some reports about the usefulness of the hemogram in COVID-19. Hemogram-derived ratios, mainly the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the novelty neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR), obtained on admission and their rate of change during hospitalization, can easily detect patients with high risk of mortality. Hemogram is a tool available to all hospitals and analyzing the hemogram-derived ratios would provide much more information than could be extracted by evaluating the counts in isolation. We now know that in COVID-19 it is essential to start early anti-inflammatory treatment when patient deteriorates and the hemogram could be a good indicator of this situation. More comprehensive studies are needed to determine how useful these hemogram-derived ratios and prognostic scores are. In the next chapter we will present information related to this aspect as well as our group¿s research on the usefulness of the hemogram in COVID-19.