Material and Methods
In this retrospective study between March and July 2020, 186 patients, who are aged between 15-92, hospitalized in Pandemic Hospital of Diyarbakir Dicle University, located in the east of Turkey, and diagnosed with COVID-19 and 187 persons, who show similarity with the patient group in terms of age and gender, were included in the control group. The medical information of the patients was obtained from the hospital records.
The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made using the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test based on the presence of a positive combined nasal/oral pharyngeal swab sample for Sars-CoV-2 nucleic acid.
Age, gender, duration of hospitalization and WBC, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, MPV, NLR and PLR, ferritin, D-dimer, fibrinogen, procalcitonin, and CRP values of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were collected retrospectively and recorded on the follow-up form on the 1st and 5th day of hospitalization. Also, age, gender, and hematological parameters (WBC, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count, MPV, NLR, and PLR) of the control group were recorded.
NLR and PLR were calculated as the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes and the ratio of platelets to lymphocytes, respectively.
All blood samples taken for hematological parameters were tested for the same analyser, calibrated regularly.
Patients whose file records could not be reached were excluded from the study. Control groups were adults who were admitted to the hospital for routine control. Persons with any signs of infection or systemic disease and missing medical records were excluded from the control group.
This retrospective study protocol was approved by the Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee.