The role of IL-6/lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood of severe patients with COVID-19

•This was the first analysis to investigate the value of IL-6/LY, an new immune inflammation-based prognostic index, to predict in-hospital death and MODS in patients with COVID-19.•Our study showed that high IL-6/LY group has a grester risk in adverse outcomes and the dynamic change of IL-6/LY was associated with the severity of the disease. It might be helpful for clinical risk assessment.•More intensive attention should be paid to the immune dysregulation and systemic inflammatory response in severe case with COVID-19.