Association of Platelet Count with Severity of COVID-19 Infection at the Time of Admission in Pakistan: A Retrospective Study

Objective: To determine the association of platelet count with the severity of COVID-19 infection. Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Mayo Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from Aug 2020 and Aug 2021. Methodology: Data was recorded in a proforma. The severity of COVID-19 infection, based on physical examination and saturation measured on a pulse oximeter recorded at the time of presentation to the hospital, was noted. A platelet count was obtained from a complete blood count at the presentation time. Platelet counts were compared in patients with non-severe infection and severe infection. Results: The mean age of the patients was 50.11±14.20 years. Out of 200 patients, 134(67%) were male and 66(33%) were female. Sixty-three (31.5%) patients had non-severe, while 137(68.5%) had severe COVID-19 symptoms. A significant association was seen between the severity of illness and platelet count at the time of presentation, with a p-value of 0.047. Conclusion: This study shows that in COVID-19 patients, thrombocytopenia at the time of presentation to the hospital is associated with severe disease.