Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly transmittable through contact with respiratory
droplets. The virus is also shed in fecal matter. Some patients may present with effects
in more than one system; however, there are no defined biomarkers that can accurately
predict the course or progression of the disease. The present study aimed to estimate
the severity of the disease, to correlate the severity of the disease with biochemical
predictors, to identify valuable biomarkers indicative of gastrointestinal disease,
and to determine the cutoff values. A cross-sectional study was conducted on COVID-19
patients admitted to the Kafrelsheikh University Hospital (isolation unit) between
July 10, 2020, and October 30, 2020. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed via reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which was employed for the detection
of the viral RNA. We conclude that lymphopenia, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)
level, and liver enzymes were among the most important laboratory findings in COVID-19
patients. Statistically significant differences in platelet count, neutrophil count,
D-dimer level, and fecal calprotectin levels were observed among patients presenting
with chest symptoms only and patients with both chest and gastrointestinal symptoms
(p = 0.004; < 0.001; 0.010; 0.003; and < 0.001, respectively). C-reactive protein, D-dimer,
and fecal calprotectin levels positively correlated with disease severity. The cutoff
value for fecal calprotectin that can predict gastrointestinal involvement in COVID-19
was 165.0, with a sensitivity of 88.1% and a specificity of 76.5%.
Keywords
coronavirus disease 2019 - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 - predictors
in reflection of the severity in Covid 19 patients
