Laboratory characteristics among patients with COVID-19: a single-center experience from Khartoum, Sudan

BACKGROUND: COVID19 is associated with a number of laboratory characteristics and changes with different levels of prognostic significance. We report changes in lab findings between severe and non-severe COVID-19 in patients that had molecular testing of nasopharyngeal swabs in Khartoum, Sudan MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted from Jan to May 2021. It included 66 preidentified COVID19 patients who attended the isolation center at Jabra Hospital in Khartoum the capital city of Sudan. Participants were enrolled for CBC, D-dimer and C-Reactive Protein testing. Among these participants, 21(31.8%) had severe COVID19 pneumonia.. Data were analysed using SPSS version 24, and the independent sample t-test was used to compare severe and non-sever cases. RESULTS: The mean values for all cases showed a mild decrease in Hb (9.53±1.83 g/dl), MCHC (28.3±2.91 g/dl); lymphocytes % (19.8 ±6.82); increased RDW-SD (50.1±5.70 fL), D-dimer (4.2±3.73 µg/ml) and CRP (107.2±61.21 mg/dl). There were significant d/span>differences in the laboratory findings between severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases in total WBCs (p value = .001), lymphocyte % (p value = .000), neutrophil % (p value=.038), RDW-SD (p value = .044), D-dimer (p value = .029) and CRP (p value = .044). CONCLUSION: The laboratory findings of CBC, D-dimer and CRP provide an essential contribution to predicti COVID-19 severity and prognosis.