“A STUDY OF CHANGES IN HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AND MORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN LEUCOCYTES OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN THIRD WAVE”

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading pandemic caused by SARS-Cov-2. In the third week of November 2021, India experienced third wave. This study was taken up to show changes in Hematological parameters and morphological alterations in leucocytes in the third wave.
Material methods: This prospective observational study included confirmed cases of Covid-19, at Government medical college and hospital Miraj from 9-Jan-2022 to 13-Feb-2022 during third wave of Covid-19. Hematological parameters including Hb, TLC, DLC, Platelet count, NLR ratio and morphological changes in WBC were studied
Results: A total of 185 confirmed cases of Covid-19 patients for CBC were enrolled. 131 were males and 54 were females with median age of 70 years. Neutrophilia, lymphopenia, eosinopenia, raised ESR ratio with morphological alterations like hypolobated neutrophils,
reactive lymphocytes having deep blue granular cytoplasm were reported.
Conclusion- Number of hospitalized cases and ICU admissions were less in the COVID-19 third-wave in India. Assessment of hematological parameters is important when investigating the COVID-19 patients as it will assist physicians in formulating the approaches to treatment and also essential in monitoring the disease progression.