Decreased “WBC*LYM” was observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients from a fever clinic in Wuhan

"Lymphocyte * Neutrophil" count decreased in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron patients in Shanghai with no significant change in CRP and SAA

Background

At present, there is a new variant Omicron BA.2 of SARS‐CoV‐2. In some previous studies, it was found that CBC, NLR, CRP, SAA, etc. in patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 had a series of changes, which were significantly correlated with the diagnosis and prognosis of patients. Therefore, in order to find specific diagnostic indicators, we explore the changes in these blood indicators and inflammatory indicators in patients with the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron.

Methods

A total of 127 Omicron confirmed patients who had visited fever clinic was selected as the positive group, and 75 Omicron excluded patients were selected as the negative group. We collected and analyzed the CBC, CRP, SAA test data, and clinical data of all subjects for analysis and statistics.

Results

WBC, NEU, LYM, EOS, PLT, PCT, LYM * NEU count compared with the negative group were significantly lower (p < 0.05); on the contrary, CNR were significantly higher (p < 0.05); The levels of CRP and SAA were not significantly different from those of the negative group (p > 0.05); the AUC of 0.781 for the diagnosis of LYM * NEU with an optimal cutoff value of 5.79, with a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 73%, respectively, Youden index of 0.41, giving the best diagnostic performance.

Conclusion

The decreased LYM * NEU count can be used as the early, rapid, and accurate diagnostic indicator for Omicron. While due to the attenuated toxicity of BA.2 sublineage, CRP and SAA had no significance in the differential diagnosis of confirmed patients.

Definition of the Immune Parameters Related to COVID-19 Severity

A relevant portion of patients with disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) experience negative outcome, and several laboratory tests have been proposed to predict disease severity. Among others, dramatic changes in peripheral blood cells have been described. We developed and validated a laboratory score solely based on blood cell parameters to predict survival in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively analyzed 1,619 blood cell count from 226 consecutively hospitalized COVID-19 patients to select parameters for inclusion in a laboratory score predicting severity of disease and survival. The score was derived from lymphocyte- and granulocyte-associated parameters and validated on a separate cohort of 140 consecutive COVID-19 patients. Using ROC curve analysis, a best cutoff for score of 30.6 was derived, which was associated to an overall 82.0% sensitivity (95% CI: 78–84) and 82.5% specificity (95% CI: 80–84) for detecting outcome. The scoring trend effectively separated survivor and non-survivor groups, starting 2 weeks before the end of the hospitalization period. Patients’ score time points were also classified into mild, moderate, severe, and critical according to the symptomatic oxygen therapy administered. Fluctuations of the score should be recorded to highlight a favorable or unfortunate trend of the disease. The predictive score was found to reflect and anticipate the disease gravity, defined by the type of the oxygen support used, giving a proof of its clinical relevance. It offers a fast and reliable tool for supporting clinical decisions and, most important, triage in terms of not only prioritization but also allocation of limited medical resources, especially in the period when therapies are still symptomatic and many are under development. In fact, a prolonged and progressive increase of the score can suggest impaired chances of survival and/or an urgent need for intensive care unit admission.

A Retrospective Study of the C-Reactive Protein to Lymphocyte Ratio and Disease Severity in 108 Patients with Early COVID-19 Pneumonia from January to March 2020 in Wuhan, China

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the effect of C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes (LYM), and the ratio of CRP to LYM (CRP/LYM) on assessing the prognosis of COVID-19 severity at early stages of disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 108 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 17, 2020 to March 12, 2020 were enrolled. Data of demographic parameters, clinical characteristics, laboratory indicators, clinical manifestation, and outcome of disease were collected. The patients were divided into a severe group and a non-severe group according to diagnosis and classification, which followed the guidelines and management of the Chinese National Health Council COVID-19. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and comparison of ROC curves were used for the laboratory findings for assessment of COVID-19 severity. RESULTS Of the 108 patients, 42 patients (38.9%) were male and 24 patients (22.2%) were considered severe cases, with the mean age of 51.0 years old. Males and patients with comorbidities were more likely to become severe cases. CRP increased and LYM decreased in the severe group.The results for the areas under the curve (AUC) of CRP/LYM and CRP used to assess severe COVID-19 were 0.787 (95% CI 0.698-0.860, P<0.0001) and 0.781 (95% CI 0.693-0.856, P<0.0001), respectively; both results were better than that of LYM. The associated criterion value of CRP/LYM was calculated, with an excellent sensitivity of 95.83%. CONCLUSIONS The effect of CRP/LYM and CRP on the assessment for severe COVID-19 may be superior to LYM alone. CRP/LYM is a highly sensitive indicator to assess the severity of COVID-19 in the early stage of disease.

COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults With HIV

BACKGROUND

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infection remain uncertain.

METHODS

We conducted a matched retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized with a COVID-19 illness in New York City between March 3, 2020, and May 15, 2020. We matched 30 people with HIV (PWH) with 90 control group patients without HIV based on age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Using electronic health record data, we compared demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and clinical outcomes between PWH and control patients.

RESULTS

In our study, the median age (interquartile range) was 60.5 (56.6-70.0) years, 20% were female, 30% were black, 27% were white, and 24% were of Hispanic/Latino/ethnicity. There were no significant differences between PWH and control patients in presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms before hospitalization, laboratory markers, or radiographic findings on chest x-ray. More patients without HIV required a higher level of supplemental oxygen on presentation than PWH. There were no differences in the need for invasive mechanical ventilation during hospitalization, length of stay, or in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical manifestations and outcomes of COVID-19 among patients with SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infection were not significantly different than patients without HIV co-infection. However, PWH were hospitalized with less severe hypoxemia, a finding that warrants further investigation.