PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Alexandros Rampotas AU - Sue Pavord TI - Platelet aggregates, a marker of severe COVID-19 disease AID - 10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206933 DP - 2021 Nov 01 TA - Journal of Clinical Pathology PG - 750--751 VI - 74 IP - 11 4099 - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/74/11/750.short 4100 - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/74/11/750.full SO - J Clin Pathol2021 Nov 01; 74 AB - Thrombocytopenia is common in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting due to endogenous and iatrogenic factors. Despite that, thrombocytopenia in patients with severe COVID-19 infections is surprisingly uncommon. By examining the blood film of 20 ICU patients with COVID-19, we observed the presence of platelet aggregates and macrothrombocytes indicating increased platelet activity. We compared these findings with 20 blood films of non-severe COVID-19 cases where these findings were absent. These morphology features could be consistent with severe COVID-19 infection and is further evidence of the important role that platelets play when COVID-19 manifests with thrombotic complications or respiratory failure.