New Delhi: Low platelet count is one of the common features of viral infections.
However, in many cases, platelets reach normal levels as soon as the infection subsides.
However, in the case of Covid-19, the doctor has found patients who continue to show low platelet counts for weeks after recovery.
In most cases, doctors show, platelet deficits are marginal and do not require medical intervention.
But there are rare cases in patients who come with very low platelet counts requiring medical management.
“We saw three patients recovered recently with platelet 10,000-20,000 which was very low per microliter of blood.
A 85-year-old man has a count of 2,000 with extensive bleeding under the skin.
Everything requires medical management, including steroid administration,” said Dr.
Atul Gogia, senior consultant, internal treatment, Sir Ganga RAM.
Dr.
Rommel Tickoo, Director, Internal Medicine, Max Hospital, Saket, explained, “The number of normal platelets ranges from 1.50,000 to 4,00,000 per microliter of blood.
From a recovered covid patient, almost 20% has a platelet number in the range of 1.00,000 Up to 1,50,000, which is low but this does not require any intervention.
We must be worried only if the platelet number decreases to 50,000 or less or if there is bleeding from the gum or nose.
“Dr.
Naveen Dang, Microbiology Consultant and Founder of the Lab, said He has also seen many patients who continue to have platelets in the range of 1-1.5 lakh per microliter of blood for weeks after recovering from Coronavirus infection.
“It’s not something to be feared,” he convinced.
Thrombocytes are one of the cellular components of blood along with white and red blood cells.
They play an important role in freezing and bleeding.
According to Dr Neeraj Nischal, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine AIIM, reducing platelet counts after Covid can be caused by many factors, for example the administration of blood thinning drugs to treat infections.
“It can also be an incidental finding and may suggest some of the underlying diseases.
The role of the novel Coronavirus in disrupting the immune system to induce thrombocytopenia also cannot be ruled, but this requires further investigation,” Nischal said.
Last year, scientists from China reported a case where a 49-year-old woman showed a very low platelet number for almost four months after recovering from Covid who was not severe.
They connect it to the damage suffered by the immune system during corona infection.