Study setting, Sample size and participant’s data
This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the premises of Zagazig University Hospitals and the affiliated Scientific & Medical Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University in the period from June 2020 through October 2020. Sample size was estimated using the online tool Openepi version 3.1 (Dean AG, 2013) considering hypothesized frequency of outcome in the population (p ) equal to 50%±5, confidence limits as % of 100 (absolute ± %)(d ): 5%, design effect (for cluster surveys-DEFF): 1 and sample size at confidence level 95%: 152. Eighty-three individuals were enrolled in the study after being referred to the COVID-19 isolation unit in the previously mentioned settings. Criterion for participants inclusion was that the participant should be suspected of having COVID-19 infection due to either he/she was in contact with COVID-19 positive individuals or was admitted to the hospital with symptoms suggestive of having COVID-19. Participant’s metadata (age and gender), symptoms, radiological findings and fourteen laboratory parameters (Hemoglobin; HB, urea, platelet, white blood cells; WBC, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase; ALT, aspartate amino transferase; AST, lactate dehydrogenase; LDH, serum ferritin; S. ferritin, C. reactive protein; CRP, prothrombin time; PT, international normalized ratio; INR and polymorphonuclear leukocytes; PNL) were collected at the time of admission and during the course of illness. The laboratory measurements were done at the clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University.