Association Between Erythrocyte Indices and Covid-19 Severity

Rapid oxygen desaturation has been widely reported in sufferers of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) with severe and critical severity. The latest scientific evidence shows that this virus can interact with erythrocytes and disrupt the function of hemoglobin as an oxygen transporter. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the erythrocyte index and the severity of COVID-19 sufferers. This research is a cross-sectional study of 120 confirmed COVID-19 sufferers at the PHC Surabaya hospital. This research was conducted from January 2021 to July 2021. This research data was collected from electronic medical records at the Primasatya Husada Citra (PHC) Hospital in Surabaya. Patients in this study were categorized based on the degree of severity into mild-moderate and severe-critical. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Spearman rank correlation test. There is a decrease in the erythrocyte index value in patients with critical severity. Based on the Spearman rank correlation test, a significant correlation with weak correlation strength was found for MCV (r = -468, p=0.000), MCH (r = -337, p=0.000), and MCHC (r = -203, p=0.026 ). This research shows that there is a significant correlation. However, the strength of the correlation is weak, so this parameter cannot be used as a predictor to assess the prognosis and severity of sufferers. Further research is needed for better knowledge regarding COVID-19 and erythrocytes.