The effect of COVID-19 on absolute neutrophil counts in patientstaking clozapine

摘要

Clozapine is associated with haematological side effects, including neutropaenia,which can signal impending life-threatening agranulocytosis. Patients withCOVID-19 infection frequently experience lymphopaenia, but not neutropaenia. Wepresent 13 patients established on clozapine who developed COVID-19 infection.There were no significant differences in total white cell or neutrophil countsbetween pre-COVID-19, intra-COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 periods. We thereforesuggest that patients who develop COVID-19 should generally have their clozapinetreatment continued. Patients taking clozapine who develop neutroapaenia duringCOVID-19 infection should be investigated and monitored as in normal practice,because changes in neutrophil counts cannot be assumed to be due to the viralinfection.