Abstract / Summary
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a broad spectrum of hematological abnormalities. While extensive literature exists on critical intensive care unit (ICU) cohorts, there is limited data specifically profiling the baseline hematological burden of purely non-ICU (ward and quarantine) patients during major viral surges. Aims and Objectives: This study evaluated the baseline hematological profile of non-ICU COVID-19 patients admitted during the virulent second wave at a specialized tropical disease and quarantine center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical and Communicable Diseases and Quarantine Center in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Medical records of adult patients with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction -confirmed COVID-19 admitted exclusively to non-ICU wards during the second wave of the pandemic were reviewed. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics version 26.0. Results: A total of 363 non-ICU hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included (mean age 51.42±13.60 years; 53.7% male). The mean total white blood cell count was 11.70±5.80×10³/μL, hemoglobin was 12.14±2.85 g/dL, and platelet count was 255.43±106.54×10³/μL. Despite the non-critical status of the cohort, substantial inflammatory and coagulation derangements were prevalent, including elevated mean C-reactive protein (36.60±38.29 mg/L) and D-dimer (2.09±2.67 μg/mL). Conclusion: Even among non-ICU patients, the second wave of COVID-19 was characterized by significant baseline hematological abnormalities, including leukocytosis, elevated CRP, and increased D-dimer. Documenting these parameters in a quarantine center setting provides a crucial baseline reference for understanding systemic inflammation in mild-to-moderate presentations during a major pandemic surge.