Hematological and Biochemical Parameters Associated with Mortality in COVID-19 Infection and Their Correlation with Smoking

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) initially appeared in China, in December 2019 and has already evolved into a pandemic spreading rapidly throughout the world. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between hematologic and biochemical parameters associated with the mortality rate in COVID-19 infection and their correlation with smoking. This study was performed on 388 patients affected by COVID-19 who were admitted to Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran from February 20, 2020, to May 21, 2020. The patients were within the age range of 18-94 years old, and 341 of them were nonsmokers, while 47 of them were smokers. Moreover, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases were more frequent among smokers. The mean of initial (on admission) white blood cell (WBC) count in smokers was significantly higher than nonsmokers (P=0.015). Males were more prone to death due to COVID-19 infection than females (P=0.035). In total, 60 (15.46%) out of 388 patients died because of COVID-19, while 84.5% of them survived. The results indicated a higher WBC count among smokers. Moreover, a higher WBC count on admission was associated with higher mortality. However, hospitalization duration was not different among smokers and nonsmokers groups. It was found that higher CRP levels and hospitalization periods were associated with an increased risk of death. The COVID-19 mortality rate was higher in men, compared to women. Eventually, no significant correlation was found between smoking and the mortality of patients with COVID-19.