Peripheral Blood Smear Morphology- A Red Flag in COVID-19
Savitri Singh
Department of Pathology, Super Speciality Pediatric Hospital and Post graduate Teaching Institute, Noida, India.
Jyotsna Madan
Department of Pathology, Super Speciality Pediatric Hospital and Post graduate Teaching Institute, Noida, India.
Devajit Nath
Department of Pathology, Super Speciality Pediatric Hospital and Post graduate Teaching Institute, Noida, India.
Neema Tiwari *
Department of Pathology, Super Speciality Pediatric Hospital and Post graduate Teaching Institute, Noida, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Covid-19 pandemic has affected the whole word medically, economically and emotionally. It is being considered as the biggest pandemic after the Spanish flu, with very high degree of morbidity and mortality in those with complications. The diagnostic and treatment criteria of this novel virus are being updated frequently as nothing much is known about it. This highlights the importance of hematology lab parameters in Covid diagnosis and prediction of disease progression. Multiple studies on complete blood counts and it’s derived parameters have been conducted in patients of Covid-19 however limited literature is available which discusses the morphology of circulating blood cells in Covid-19 cases. This short communication is presented with the purpose of highlighting the peripheral blood findings of 50 lab confirmed Covid-19 cases admitted at Super Specialty Pediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Hospital, NOIDA.
Keywords: Covid-19, morbidity and mortality, SARS CoV2, real time RT-PCR.