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Coronavirus disease 2019: Morphological changes in peripheral blood cells
Amin A Alamin
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Amin A Alamin,
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Taif University, P. O. Box 11099, Taif 21944
Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None DOI: 10.4103/ijh.ijh_30_23
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INTRODUCTION: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on global health has been considerable since its emergence. Clinical laboratories are crucial in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study aims to review the published literature on the abnormal morphological features found in the peripheral blood smears of patients with COVID-19.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A nonsystematic narrative review was carried out, utilizing four databases to search for publications that presented qualitative alterations in the peripheral blood cells of individuals with COVID-19. Thirty-three studies published between January 2020 and July 2022 were ultimately included in the review.
RESULTS: The majority of the studies reviewed focused on qualitative changes, with peripheral blood cell shape identified as an indicator of post-COVID-19 syndrome severity. Plasmacytic cells were found to be a relatively specific marker for COVID-19, while fragmented neutrophils were identified as an extremely sensitive morphological marker. Activation of monocytes was a strong predictor of disease outcome, and platelet aggregates served as an indicator of disease progression.
CONCLUSIONS: The identification of morphological abnormalities in peripheral blood cells can aid in diagnosing and prognosticating COVID-19 patients. Daily complete blood count tests in hospitalized patients are crucial for identifying numerical and morphological irregularities that indicate poor clinical outcomes and disease progression.
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