Changes in the Indicators of the General Blood Test and Coagulogram in a Mild Course of Coronavirus Infection

Abstract

In 2020 the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection spread in almost all countries of the world. The danger of this infection lies in the damage to the lungs, which can lead to fatal outcomes. The success of treatment is largely determined by the early diagnosis of the disease and its timely treatment. In order to find the ways of early laboratory diagnosis of coronavirus infection, we studied changes in peripheral blood indicators, coagulograms and C-reactive protein in 56 outpatient patients with mild course of coronavirus infection, whose average age was 49±2 years (among them, 23.2% were men and 66.8% were women). In all patients, coronavirus infection was confirmed by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal smears. Signs of lung damage were detected in 66% of patients according to computed tomography findings. The number of red blood cells and the level of hemoglobin in all patients were normal. In 7% of patients, thrombocytopenia was detected, in 5.3% of patients – thrombocytosis. The most pronounced changes are foundin the leucoformula and indicators of the blood coagulation system. In 12.5% of patients without signs of viral pneumonia, leukocytosis was detected. All cases of leukopenia were noted only against the background of lung damage, at this, in 16% lymphopenia was found, 43% had relative lymphocytosis. The coagulogram of more than half of the patients with pneumonia showed shortening of blood clotting in the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test, an increase in prothrombin index(PI) and the content of fibrinogen. The level of C-reactive protein was increased in only a quarter of patients with mild lung damage. Thus, changes in the leucoformula against the background of a tendency to hypercoagulation in blood clotting indicators should cause doctors' apprehensive attitude when treating a patient with clinical symptoms similar to COVID-19.