Check for lymphopenia
on day 1, 7 and 14
in COVID 19 patients
Dengue taught us the value of platelet count interpreted along with haematocrit and
COVID 19 is now teaching us the value of “lymphocytes” in blood test..
It has been a standard teaching that “all viral fever will have high lymphocytes counts.”
Low count will only occur with HIV, SARS like illness, measles and hepatitis.
Now all studies have shown it to be “an important marker of COVID 19”
In the latest study published
in March 9, 2020,
the Lancet,
the authors showed that baseline lymphocyte count was significantly higher in survivors than non-survivors;
In “survivors”,
lymphocyte count was
lowest on day 7 after illness onset and
improved during hospitalisation
whereas “severe lymphopenia was observed until death in non-survivors”.
Clues for COVID-19
include
Leukopenia in 30% to 45%
Lymphocytopenia in 85%
Other findings are
Elevated ALT, AST (37%).
High D-dimer levels
and
more severe lymphopenia
have been associated
with High mortality..