Association of Serum Procalcitonin Level with Severity of COVID-19 among Patients in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to assess the association between the mean level of procalcitonin (PCT), demographic characteristics, and the symptoms, duration, and severity of COVID-19. Methods and Results: This cross-sectional study included patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection who visited the Thumbay Hospital in Ajman (UAE) between March and June 2022. A total of 231 COVID-19-positive patient records (170[73.6%] males and 61[26.4%] females) were included in the study. PCT levels were measured upon admission using the Beckman Coulter – UniCel DxI 800 Access Immunoassay System. The mean patients’ age was 47.44±13.460 years, and the length of stay in the hospital was 11.21±8.145 days. The PCT mean level was 0.545±1.739 ng/ml with minimum and maximum values of 0.010 ng/ml and 16.667 ng/ml, respectively. In terms of COVID-19 severity, patients were categorized into mild (121[52.4%]), moderate (59[25.5%]), and severe 51(22.1%]). We found no association between age categories and COVID-19 severity. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean PCT level among the severity groups. The mean PCT level increased with increasing severity of COVID-19: 0.0569±0.0324, 0.1736±0.0594, and 2.134±3.254 ng/ml for mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, respectively (P=0.0000) There was a statistically significant, moderate positive correlation between PCT level and disease severity (r=0.433, P=0.001). The linear regression results revealed that PCT level is a significant factor in COVID-19 severity. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the serum PCT level may be a marker of disease severity in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.