Background: Data for predicting severity of patients with COVID-19 infection are sparse and still under investigation. We retrospectively studied whether the admission serum C-reactive protein level (CRP) can serve as nearly predictor of disease severity during COVID-19 infection in comparison with other hematologic and inflammatory markers. Methods: We included all consecutive patients who were admitted in Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco, between February to April 2020, with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 infection using SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleic acid via RT-PCR. The complete blood count and serum CRP level were routinely measured on admission. All clinical and laboratory data of patients were collected and analyzed. The classification of the disease severity was in accordance with the clinical classification of the WHO interim guidance, and the management of patients were adapted to the national management guideline. We estimated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of blood routine parameters as well as their association with COVID-19 disease severity. Results: 145 COVID-19 patients were included in the study. The median age (range) was 50 (32-63) years, and Kratak sadr`aj Uvod: Podaci za predvi|anje te`ine stanja pacijenata sa infekcijom COVID-19 su retki i jo{ uvek se istra`uju. Retrospektivno smo istra`ili da li nivo C-reaktivnog proteina (CRP) mo`e da poslu`i kao rani indikator ozbiljnosti bolesti pri infekciji virusom COVID-19 u pore|enju sa drugim hematolo{kim i upalnim markerima. Metode: Uklju~ili smo sve pacijente koji su uzastopno primljeni u Me|unarodnu univerzitetsku bolnicu [eik Kalifa u Kazablanki, Maroko, u periodu od februara do aprila 2020. godine, sa dijagnozom COVID-19 infekcije potvr -|enom pomo u virusne nukleinske kiseline COVID-19 putem RT-PCR. Kompletna krvna slika i nivo seruma CRP rutinski su mereni na prijemu. Svi klini~ki i laboratorijski podaci pacijenata su prikupljeni i analizirani. Klasifikacija te`ine bolesti bila je u skladu sa klini~kom klasifikacijom privremenih uputstava SZO, a le~enje pacijenata prilago -|eno me|unarodnim smernicama. Izvr{ili smo procenu ROC krive parametara analize krvi kao i njihovu povezanost sa te`inom bolesti COVID-19. Rezultati: U istra`ivanje je uklju~eno 145 pacijenata sa infekcijom COVID-19. Srednja vrednost starosti bila je 50 godina (32-63 godine), a 75 pacijenata (51,7%) bili su mu{karci. U lak{u grupu svrstan je 101 pacijent, a u te`u

Diabetes is considered a risk factor for complications due to COVID-19. In order to clarify this association, we are exploring the characteristics, the clinical signs, the outcomes and death in diabetic patients with COVID-19. In this retrospective observational study we are evaluating the demographic characteristics, the comorbidities of the patients, the clinical signs of the infection, the signs of clinical severity, the biological assessment at admission, the treatment, the outcomes and the deaths of 133 patients with COVID-19, of which 25 (19,4%) had diabetes. In the compared COVID-19 patients, with and without diabetes, the patients with diabetes were older, had higher blood pressure and more cardio-vascular diseases. Severe forms were more present in diabetic patients (56% versus 27.1%). Weight loss was higher in diabetic patients (6kg versus 3kg). Biologically, diabetic patients had higher levels of C-reactive protein (28 versus 5.8mg/l), procalcitonin (0.28 versus 0,13ng/l), ferritin (501 versus 140ng/ml), lactic dehydrogenase (268 versus 226IU/l) and of D. dimer (665 versus 444μg/l). Diabetic patients required more oxygen therapy (60% versus 26.9%), more mechanical ventilation (20% versus 8.3%) and more frequent admission to the intensive care unit (60% versus 27.8%). They presented more thromboembolic complications (12% versus 9%) but there were not significant differences in the other outcomes and in death rates. The excess of morbidity and mortality due to diabetes was still not fully clarified; the role of demographic factors, the interaction of mediations with ACE-2 receptors and the role of co-morbidities will all need to be studied in order to identify the patient at risk profile, i.e. who can develop severe forms of the diseases and more outcomes. The early identification of a possible hyper inflammation could be very valuable. More attention should be paid to patients with COVID-19 with diabetes because they are at a high risk of complications.

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Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-COV2 are currently considered at high risk of developing thromboembolic complications in both venous and arterial vessels. The use of anticoagulants for preventive or curative purposes should be considered to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events. We report a case of a patient with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome who consecutively developed a right femoral deep vein thrombosis related to the femoral central line and acute ischemia of the left upper limb related to a radial arterial line. He was under a therapeutic dose of low molecular weight heparin twice a day three days before. The femoral vein was free of thrombosis while the central line was placed under a duplex ultrasound.Thromboembolic events can occur in patients with severe COVID-19 despite therapeutic anticoagulants. Close monitoring of vascular access with duplex ultrasound may be required.