It’s evident that low platelets alone may not necessarily be indicative of severity. Platelet transfusions to correct the number could, in fact, be harmful. The important indicators or alarms of severity are hematocrit (an indicator of fluid deficit in the body and blood thickness). Hematocrit normally should be less than 45, as high hematocrit levels suggest leaky blood vessels and profound loss of water content in the blood, similar to profound dehydration, the paediatrician added.