Thrombocytopenia is independently associated with poor outcome in patients hospitalized for COVID-19

Abstract

Thrombocytopenia (defined by platelet count 9/L) has been observed in up to 36% of patients with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the virus responsible for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19; Guan et al , 2020). In this setting, thrombocytopenia is usually mild, caused by platelet activation and consumption (Thachil, 2020; Pavord et al , 2020). In a recent paper published in the British Journal of Haematology, Jiang et al . conducted a meta‐analysis of 31 studies involving 7613 participants and found a significant association between thrombocytopenia and severe COVID‐19 hospitalized patients or poor outcome in this setting (Jiang et al , 2020). However, other clinical, biological and radiological factors strongly impact COVID‐19 outcome. Whether thrombocytopenia is independently associated to poor outcome in this population is unknown. This study was aimed at addressing this question.