Open AccessComparison of the clinical parameters of patients with COVID-19 and influenza using blood test data: a retrospective cross-sectional survey
Author(s) -
Sayato Fukui,
Akihiro Inui,
Mizue Saita,
Daiki Kobayashi,
Toshio Naito
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of international medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1473-2300
pISSN - 0300-0605
DOI - 10.1177/03000605221083751
Subject(s) - medicine , malaise , covid-19 , white blood cell , blood test , cross sectional study , nausea , retrospective cohort study , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Objective The characteristic features, including blood test data, of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) versus influenza have not been defined. We therefore compared the clinical parameters, including blood test data, of COVID-19 and influenza.Methods This retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted at Juntendo University Nerima Hospital. We recruited patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 who underwent blood tests. For comparison, we recruited an equivalent number of patients who were diagnosed with influenza and who underwent blood tests.Results During the study period, 228 patients (male:female, 123 [54.0%]:105 [46.0%]; age, 54.68 ± 18.98 years) were diagnosed with COVID-19. We also recruited 228 patients with influenza (male:female, 129 [56.6%]:99 [43.4%]; age, 69.6 ± 21.25 years). An age of 15 to 70 years (vs. 71 years), breathing difficulty, and malaise were significantly more common in patients with COVID-19 than in those with influenza. However, nausea, body temperature >38.1°C, and white blood cell count >9000/μL were more common in patients with influenza.Conclusions Our results are useful for differentiating COVID-19 from influenza, and these findings will be extremely helpful for future practice as we learn to coexist with COVID-19.