Association of Serum Zinc Level and Clinical Outcome in Patients with COVID19 Virus

Abstract

Abstract Background Zinc, one of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant micronutrient found in food with well-established role in immunity, is currently being used in some clinical trials against COVID-19. Objective The aim of our study was to assess the association between mean levels of Zinc in the patients and mortality caused by COVID-19. Patients and Methods This was a comparative cross-sectional study that was performed on 60 Egyptian patients at Ain Shams University Quarantine field hospital, Ain Shams University Quarantine hospital In Al OboUr, and outpatient clinics at Ain shams university hospitals for 6 months period This study patients were divided according to clinical outcome into: Group I that included patients admitted to ICU and Group II that included patients admitted to ward. Results There was no statistically significant difference found between two groups regarding Sex, Age and Special habits, and there was no statistically significant difference found between two groups regarding CO-RADS classification, and there was statistically highly significant difference found found between two groups regarding Medical history. There was statistically significant difference found between two groups regarding Zinc level. There was statistically no significant difference found between two groups regarding Lymphocytes, Hemoglobin, Platelets, BUN, S. Creatinine, Total Bilirubin and S. Albumin, and there was statistically significant difference found between two groups regarding Neutrophil- Lymphocyte ratio, CRP, ESR, AST, ALT, FERRITIN and LDH, and there was statistically highly significant difference found between two groups regarding TLC, Neutrophils, D-DIMER and VIT D. Conclusion This study concluded a correlation between low SZC and COVID-19 severity and mortality. The cause is likely to be a combination of immune system imbalance and a direct benefit of viral replication. Thus, we propose SZC as a novel and additional parameter to predict COVID19 outcome.