# Blood Count and Renal Functionality Assessments in the Emergency Section Disclose Morbidity and Mortality in Omicron COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that blood tests in emergency rooms can predict the severity and outcomes of Omicron COVID-19 cases.

## Contribution

The study identifies routine blood biomarkers linked to Omicron severity and mortality in emergency patients.

## Key findings

- Blood biomarkers like creatinine and hemoglobin correlate with clinical outcomes in Omicron patients.
- Deceased patients showed significant changes in blood parameters compared to others.
- Routine tests can help assess severity and mortality risk early in Omicron cases.

## Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we are no longer in a pandemic situation, people are still getting infected, some of them need hospitalization and a few of them die. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including 445 patients who accessed the Emergency Section of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy, where they had routine blood exams. In this study, we focused on the complete blood count, serum creatinine and azotemia. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, Spearman correlation and ROC analyses. They were divided into four groups based on their clinical outcomes: (1) the emergency group (patients who had mild forms and were quickly discharged); (2) the hospital ward group (patients who were admitted to the emergency section and were then hospitalized in a COVID-19 ward); (3) the intensive care unit (ICU) group (patients who required intensive assistance after the admission in the emergency section); (4) the deceased group (patients who had a fatal outcome after admission to the emergency section). Results: We found significant changes for creatinine, azotemia, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, basophils, monocytes, red blood cell distribution width, hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell numbers using ANOVA according to their clinical outcomes, particularly for the deceased group. Also, we found linear correlations of clinical outcomes with eosinophils, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, lymphocyte, neutrophil, platelet and red blood cell number and red blood cell distribution width. Conclusions: This study discloses an early association between “classical” routine blood biomarkers and the severity of clinical outcomes in Omicron patients.