Authors: Ananya Varma

Platelets are said to play an important role in inflammatory signalling. Here is why it is important to keep a check of Platelet count in COVID patients. 

Given that COVID-19 is a relatively novel disease, newer research continues to emerge into its characteristics with scientists now linking rapidly decreasing platelets to be a symptom of the infectious virus. Genetically linked to the 2002 SARS-CoV-1 virus, research has now drawn a link between Thrombocytopenia (a condition with low platelets) to the severity of a COVID-19 infection. Here is why it is important to keep a check of Platelet count in COVID patients. 

Platelet Count in COVID patients

As per a recent study, Platelets are said to play an important role in inflammatory signaling as well as in the infectious response of Coronavirus. An analysis of 7,613 COVID-19 patients revealed that patients with severe COVID had a lower platelet count than those with the non-severe disease. Moreover, mild Thrombocytopenia was also detected in those who had severe cases of COVID-19, that is those patients with a lower platelet count. 

Thrombocytopenia & COVID

A normal platelet count in human body ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having less than 150,000 platelets is known as Thrombocytopenia. Older research has shown that of the patients affected by the 2003 SARS epidemic, 20–55% had Thrombocytopenia and these patients experienced greater morbidity/mortality. In a similar way, Thrombocytopenia has also been detected in 5–41.7% of COVID-19 patients and mild Thrombocytopenia has been detected in 58–95% of severe cases of COVID-19. Notably, severely affected patients had a platelet count only 23 ×109/L to 31 ×109/L lower than those with the non-severe disease.

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