The Prevalence of Anemia and Hematological Findings in COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anemia among COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia and evaluate their hematological parameters. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted between February 2021 to March 2021, data collection covered the period between September 2020 to March 2021. All the patients were hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19. Results: A total of 6048 COVID-19 patients included in our study, 2358 (48.9%) were anemic, 3666 (60.61%) were normal HGB level, and only 24 (0.49%) were having polycythemia. Hemoglobin level ranged from 5 g/dL to 18 g/dL with a median (interquartile range) of 11.8 g/dL (8.9 to 13.1) g/dL. The median for male (interquartile range) was for anemic patient’s 9.8 g/dL (8.5 to 11.4) g/dL, normal 14 g/dL (13.5 to 14.8) g/dL, and polycythemia 17.4 g/dL (17.2 to 17.7) g/dL. The median for female (interquartile range) was for anemic patient’s 9.1 g/dL (8.2 to 10.2) g/dL, normal 13.5 g/ dL (12.5 to 14.5) g/dL, and polycythemia 17 g/dL (16.82 to 17.2) g/dL. Hematological parameters detected are indicative of severe complications in anemic patients compared to non-anemic patients. Conclusion: Our findings were consistent with other studies that reported poor outcomes of anemia in COVID-19 patients.