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..