Retrospective Study of Clinical Features of COVID-19 in Inpatients and Their Association with Disease Severity

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features and laboratory indices of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and explore their association with the severity of the disease.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 61 patients with COVID-19 were divided into groups with common symptoms and with severe diseases, and clinical data were collected to analyze and compare the differences between them.
RESULTS: In patients with severe COVID-19, compared with the common group, lymphocyte count and albumin levels were lower, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea, blood creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and prothrombin time (PT) were elevated (all P<0.05). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR), and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) were significantly elevated in the severe group compared with the group with common symptoms; however, the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was significantly reduced (P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression showed that lower lymphocyte count, prolonged PT, elevated CRP and LDH levels, and elevated NLR, PLR, MPVLR, and CAR were risk factors for COVID-19 severity (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that elevated CRP levels (odds ratio [OR], 0.028; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.002-0.526; P=0.017), prolonged PT (OR, 0.014; 95% CI: 0.001-0.341; P=0.09), and an MPVLR >8.9 (OR, 0.026; 95% CI: 0.002-0.349; P=0.006) were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity.
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated CRP and prolonged PT, and an MPVLR >8.9 were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity.

Keywords: COVID-19, Medical Informatics, Nutrition Assessment, Pneumonia