Covid-19 and diabetes in primary care – How do hematological parameters present in this cohort?

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Changes in hematological parameters are becoming evident as important early markers of COVID-19. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has been shown to be associated with increased severity of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to explore the various hematological variables in COVID-19 positive patients with T2DM, so as to act early and improve patient outcomes.

Methods: Medical e-records of seventy adult patients with T2DM who were COVID-19 positive have been analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters for these patients were examined.

Results: Of the seventy patients with T2DM, 48.88% had poorly controlled diabetes. 70.69% were pyrexial, 56.25% were tachycardic and 38.58% were asymptomatic on presentation. Amongst the hematological parameters, anemia was seen in 10% of males and 15.38% of females. 20% had a high red-blood-cell-distribution-width (RDW). 7.27% had thrombocytosis and 3.64% had thrombocytopenia. 73.3% had a high platelet-distribution-width (PDW) and 44.44% had an increased mean-platelet-volume (MPV). 16.36% were neutropenic and 16.67% had lymphocytopenia.

Conclusion: Diabetic COVID-19 positive patients have been shown to have prominent manifestations of the hemopoietic-system with varied hematological profiles. Recognizing the implications of these variables early in primary-care, can help clinicians aid management decisions and dictate early referral to secondary-care services, to help improve prognosis.

KEYWORDS:

• Hematological parameters
• MPV
• PDW
• RDW
• T2DM

Acknowledgments

Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.

We thank the PHCC research team for helping us provide the data needed for us to conduct the study.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

Conception and design - Amit Varma, Ismail Dergaa

Analysis and interpretation of the data - Amit Varma, Ismail Dergaa, Abdul Rafi Mohammed, Muneer Abubaker, Abdulla Al Naama, Shameer Mohammed, Mohammed Arshad Rafique, Lelna Manu, Sakthikumar Vedasalam, Parveze Parveze, Omar Hammouda, Achraf Ammar. Drafting of the paper or revising it critically for intellectual content- Amit Varma, Ismail Dergaa, Abdul Rafi MohammedOmar Hammouda, Achraf Ammar. The final approval of the version to be published - Amit Varma, Ismail Dergaa, Abdul Rafi Mohammed, Muneer Abubaker, Abdulla Al Naama, Shameer Mohammed, Mohammed Arshad Rafique, Lelna Manu, Sakthikumar Vedasalam, Parveze Parveze, Omar Hammouda, Achraf Ammar. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.