Hematologic Parameters of COVID – 19: A Review on Alteration of Hematologic Laboratory Findings

Corona virus 2019 (COVID –19) is a public health emergency and according to the recent statistic of World Health Organization (WHO), this novel virus has infected all continents. During this outbreak, there is an urgent need for documentation of laboratory predictors to discriminate between mild and severe forms of this virus. In this pandemic, prompt identification of clinical and laboratory prognostic factors of progression towards critical and lethal forms of this disease is mandatory. During this new infection, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, sometimes neutrophilia, elevation of D-dimer, prolongation of prothrombin time (PT), and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT), and also increased level of fibrin degradation products (FDP) could occur. Moreover, elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, ferritin, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and interleukin -6 (IL- 6) are other laboratory features. These parameters will enable risk stratification and favorable allocation of limited and technical resources particularly in under developed countries. In this review article, alteration of hematologic laboratory findings has been discussed.