Serum interleukin-6, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein at hospital admission can identify patients at low risk for severe COVID-19 progression

BackgroundCOVID-19 can show a variable course, from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory failure and death. For efficient allocation of resources, patients should be stratified according to their risk for a severe course as early as possible.Methods135 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia at four German hospitals were prospectively included in this observational study. A standardized clinical laboratory profile was taken at hospital admission and a panel of serum markers with possible roles in the COVID-associated cytokine storm were also determined. 112 patients could be evaluated. The primary endpoint of ventilator requirement or death within 30 days of symptom onset was met by 13 patients.ResultsSerum elevations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) at hospital admission were each highly significantly (p