Hematological and hemorheological parameters are known to be altered in
COVID-19; however, the value of combined monitoring in order to deduce
disease severity is only scarcely examined. A total of 44 acute
SARS-CoV-2-infected patients (aCOV) and 44 age-matched healthy controls
(Con) were included. Blood of aCOV was sampled at admission (T0), and at
day 2 (T2), day 5 (T5), day 10 (T10), and day 30 (T30) while blood of
Con was only sampled once. Inter- and intra-group differences were
calculated for hematological and hemorheological parameters. Except for
mean cellular volume and mean cellular hemoglobin, all blood cell
parameters were significantly different between aCOV and Con. During the
acute disease state (T0–T5), hematological and hemorheological
parameters were highly altered in aCOV; in particular, anemic conditions
and increased immune cell response/inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative
stress, decreased deformability, as well as increased aggregation, were
observed. During treatment and convalescence until T30, almost all
abnormal values of aCOV improved towards Con values. During the acute
state of the COVID-19 disease, the hematological, as well as the
hemorheological system, show fast and potentially pathological changes
that might contribute to the progression of the disease, but changes
appear to be largely reversible after four weeks. Measuring RBC
deformability and aggregation, as well as oxidative stress induction,
may be helpful in monitoring critically ill COVID-19 patients.