en خون شناسی آزمایشگاهی و بانک خون Laboratory hematology تحقيقي Original Paper <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri=""><b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times="">Background:</span></span></b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""> Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a communicable disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)<i>.</i> The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary from asymptomatic to acute respiratory distress syndrome. In severely-ill patients, <span style="background:white">neutrophil</span> count is significantly increased. This study aimed to evaluate absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in patients with COVID-19 and healthy individuals. <span style="color:black"></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri=""><b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">Methods</span></span></span></b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">: </span></span></span><span style="background:white"><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times="">This<b> </b>retrospective, cross-sectional study was carried out on patients admitted to the outpatient department of OBGY Rural Hospital (Maharashtra, India) from April 2021 to June 2021. A peripheral venous blood sample (3 ml) was taken from 143 patients with COVID-19 and 143 healthy controls. The blood samples were analyzed using a fully automated blood cell counter for the estimation of complete blood count. A peripheral blood smear was prepared and stained with Leishman stain for evaluation of morphological changes. </span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri=""><b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">Results</span></span></span></b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">:</span></span></span><b> </b><span style="background:white"><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">The ANC of COVID-19 patients was significantly higher than that of healthy control subjects (p=0.00001).</span></span></span></span><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""> T<span style="background:white"><span style="color:black">oxic granules (48.9%) were the most common morphological neutrophil abnormality, followed by hypolobation, hypogranulation, Pseudo-Pelger-Huet anomaly (20.9%), and shift to left with the presence of immature myeloid series cells. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri=""><b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">Conclusion</span></span></span></b><span style="line-height:200%"><span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:black">:</span> High ANC along with morphological changes in neutrophils could be used as a simple and inexpensive surrogate marker of COVID-19 and its severity.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div> COVID-19 Testing,Neutrophil,Morphological and Microscopic Findings, 35 39 http://mlj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1272-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Harsha Jaykar dr.harshaj@gmail.com 100319475328460032050 100319475328460032050 Yes Department of Pathology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education and Research, Medical College, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune, Maharashtra, India Mangala Nagare stencildiagnostics@gmail.com 100319475328460032051 100319475328460032051 No Department of Pathology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education and Research, Medical College, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune, Maharashtra, India Gauri Bhat drgauribhat@gmail.com 100319475328460032052 100319475328460032052 No Department of Pathology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education and Research, Medical College, Talegaon Dabhade, Pune, Maharashtra, India