CRP is part of the COVID-19 management triage in Chinese fever clinics
![CRP is part of the COVID-19 management triage in Chinese fever clinics](https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=1600&h=1066&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=1ff197f41e937b510c83bd4d817eeaec 1600w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=1200&h=800&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=fb6720c53c91f118a9241698bb38b457 1200w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=992&h=661&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=a1fc3f26710d272e78a2625309e2ccc0 992w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=768&h=512&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=b9fee94f336b8108821901ba818bbb4d 768w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&q=45&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=1f370c651f14a7d3df8ccefea62fd059 1536w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=576&h=384&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=a3bdc728f36da31a92a5519b951ee9a6 576w, https://paltry-paradoxure.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/general/Images/News/Corona-virus-in-blue.jpg?w=1152&h=768&q=45&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1582611330&s=b292f692d5cb48ec77b0d7004f3838af 1152w)
Coronavirus infection, which was officially named as COVID-19 by World Health Organization has caused a substantial influx of patients at the health care facilities in China. Based on the experience gained in the SARS epidemic in 2003, China has established fever clinics to triage a large number of patients entering the healthcare sites. CRP testing and complete blood count are used at the forefront for evaluation of infection and to direct patients further on the treatment path in the algorithm recently published by Lancet Respiratory Medicine1.
Although CRP does not normally elevate significantly in mild viral respiratory infections, levels have shown to increase in severe cases, such as in avian influenza H1N1 and H7N9, and during SARS epidemics in 2003. A similar significant increase of CRP has also been reported in COVID-19 patients2. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines that take part in the defense against the pathogen, but also cause more severe symptoms and damage in lung alveoli and stimulate CRP production3-5. Therefore, CRP testing may be useful in the initial evaluation of coronavirus patients.
- Zhang et al. Therapeutic and triage strategies for 2019 novel coronavirus disease in fever clinics. Lancet Respir Med 2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30071-0
- Chen et al. 2020. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet 2020; 395:P507-513.
- Vasileva & Badawi. C-reactive protein as a biomarker of severe H1N1 influenza. Inflamm Res 2019; 68:39-46.
- Wu et al. A new perspective on C-reactive protein in H7N9 infections. Int J Infect Dis 2016; 44:31-36.
- Huang et al. An interferon‐γ‐related cytokine storm in SARS patients. J Med Virol 2005; 75:185-194.