SUMMARY BACKGROUND Coronavirus Disease 2019 is an acute inflammatory respiratory disease. It causes many changes in hemogram parameters. Low albumin levels are associated with mortality risk in hospitalized patients. The aim of the present study is to reveal the place of neutrophil count to albumin ratio in predicting mortality in patients with COVID-19. METHODS 144 patients, 65 females and 79 males, were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was the non-severe group (n:85), and Group 2 was severe (n:59). Demographic data, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet counts, albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were recorded. Neutrophil count to albumin ratio (NAR) was calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil counts by the albumin levels. The NAR and levels of the two groups were then compared. RESULTS There were no significant differences in gender and platelet count (201 vs. 211 K/mL) between the groups (p>0,05). Ages (62.0 ± 14.3 vs 68.6 ± 12.2 years), albumin (33.1 vs 29.9 gr/L), CRP (33 vs 113 mg/l), neutrophil count (4 vs 7.24 K/mL), WBC counts (6.70 vs 8.50 K/mL), NAR values (113.5 vs 267.2) and number of Death (5 vs 33) were found to be statistically higher (p <0.001) in Group 2 than in Group 1. The NAR value of 201.5 showed mortality in all patients with COVID-19 to have 71.1% sensitivity and 71.7% specificity (AUC:0.736, 95% CI: 0.641-0.832, p<0.001) CONCLUSION The present study showed that NAR levels can be a cheap and simple marker for predicting mortality in patients with COVID-19.

SUMMARY AIM The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic significance of ABO and Rh blood group antigens along with various parameters in patients followed-up with the diagnosis of COVID-19. METHODS We evaluated 397 patients who were follow-up and treated due to COVID-19 infections. The ages, genders, chronic diseases, ABO and Rh blood group antigens, admission rates to Intensive Care Units (ICU), and mortality rates of the patients were analyzed. FINDINGS The mean age of the 397 patients with COVID-19 was 47±17 years. In the blood group analysis of the patients, A Rh-positive (A +) was the most frequently seen blood type (176 patients, 44.3%) followed by O Rh-positive (0 +) (109 patients, 27,5%); 38 patients were Rh negative (Rh -) (9,6%). 53 of the patients (13,4%) were followed in ICU and 29 patients died (7,3%). Neither mortality nor admission to ICU was seen for Rh – group. The comparison of Rh groups concerning the need for ICU admission revealed a significantly high rate of ICU admission in the Rh + group (p=0,011), while no significant relationship was found between mortality and Rh antigen (p=0,069). CONCLUSION The most frequently seen blood type among COVID-19 patients was A +. The Rh + blood group was found in all cases who were admitted to ICU and had a death outcome. The Rh + blood group was found in a significantly high number of patients who were admitted to ICU, while no significant relationship was found between mortality and Rh blood group.

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate whether the neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet (N/LP) ratio may be used to predict the risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), the need for mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively on the data of 134 COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the ICU. The N/LP ratio was calculated as follows: neutrophil count x 100 / (lymphocyte count x platelet count). Each member of the research cohort was categorised into 1 of 2 groups based on their survival status (survivor and non-survivor groups). Results: In total, 82 (61%) patients died during the ICU stay. Patients who required mechanical ventilation and died in the ICU stay had significantly higher N/LP ratio than those who did not require it and survived [10 (IQR=4.94-19.38) vs 2.51 (IQR=1.67-5.49), p<0.001] and [11.27 (IQR=4.53-30.02) vs 1.65 (IQR=1-3.24), p<0.001], respectively. The N/LP ratio was linked with the requirement of mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death according to multivariable analysis. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we found that N/LP in predicting admission to the ICU was >4.18 with 61% sensitivity and 62% specificity, it was >5.07 with 74% sensitivity and 73% specificity for the need for mechanical ventilation, and >3.69 with 81% sensitivity and 81% specificity to predict in-hospital death. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that the N/LP ratio, which is a novel and widely applicable inflammatory index, may be used to predict the risk of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death in patients with COVID-19 disease.

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION This study aims to evaluate changes in hematological parameters after the follow-up of patients who received treatment with favipiravir due to COVID-19 infections. METHODS Sixty-two cases receiving favipiravir treatment for at least five days due to COVID-19 infection were evaluated retrospectively. Parameters including age, gender, nasopharyngeal swab positivity, and chronic diseases were analyzed. Hematologic parameters were analyzed before and after the treatment. RESULTS The mean age of the patients receiving treatment with favipiravir was 63.7±12.3 years. Nasopharyngeal swab positivity was detected in 67.7%. The most common comorbid conditions detected in patients were hypertension in 25 cases (40.3%) and diabetes in 16 cases (25.8%). In the statistical analysis of the hematological parameters before and after treatment with favipiravir, WBC, PT-PTT-INR levels were found to be unaffected; the mean RBC was found to have decreased from 4.33 ± 0.58 M/uL to 4.16 ± 0.54 M/uL (p:0.003); the median hemoglobin level was found to have decreased from 12.3 g/dl to 11.9 g/dl (p:0.041); the hematocrit level decreased from 38.1% ± 4.8 to 36.9% ± 4.2 (p:0.026); the median neutrophil count decreased from 4.57 K/uL to 3.85 K/uL (p:0.001); the mean lymphocyte count increased from 1.22 ± 0.53 K/uL to 1.84 ± 1.19 K/uL (p:0.000); and the mean platelet count increased from 244.1 ± 85.1 K/uL to 281.9 ± 103.3 K/uL (p:0.005). CONCLUSION We concluded that the pathological effect of treatment with favipiravir on the hematologic system was the suppression in the erythrocyte series, and there were no adverse effects in other hematologic parameters.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of favipiravir (FVP) in severe . Methods: This is a retrospective study of 142 COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia signs, who received inpatient treatment between March 15 and May 20, 2020. The patients were divided into two groups according to the use of FVP treatment; group 1 (n = 99) included patients who treated with FVP and group 2 (n = 43) who didn't receive FVP. Results: Mean age was 66.47 ± 11.89 in group 1, and 68.58 ± 14.78 in group 2. Forty patients (40.4%) in group 1 and 22 (51.2%) in group 2 were treated in the intensive care unit (P > 0.05). The proportion of eosinophil, tendency of increasing thrombocyte counts and eosinophil/neutrophil ratio in FVP group was significantly higher than non-FVP group (p < 0.05). In Group 1, patients had significantly reduced erythroid series, and elevated uric acid levels as side effects of FVP. With respect to complications during hospitalization, there was no significant difference among the groups for mechanical ventilator requirement, acute kidney injury, dialysis requirement and sepsis (P > 0.05). The mortality rates in Group 1 (n = 26 [26.3%]) were lower than those in group 2 (n = 16 [37.2%]), but it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: While the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia options were limited during the initial stages of the pandemic, the FVP may be effective in severe cases. To confirm this effect, randomized controlled studies are needed in patients of all disease severities.