This paper details through the a few specific case studies of patients comorbid with sickle cell disease, detailing whether these comorbid patients are at risk for other additional diseases, and possible management as well as communication strategies for patients with sickle cell disease during the COVID-19 era.

COVID-19 and sickle cell disease - Haematologica

- COVID-19 and sickle cell disease - Haematologica

Ohio State University, Columbus

- This node acts as a general summary of the comorbidity of cancer and COVID-19 from a paper that analyzed many other papers detailing the same thing at its time of release.
- Via a pooled meta-analysis of studies from around the globe analyzing the prevalence of cancer in COVID-19 patients, it was found that the prevalence of cancer in COVID-19 patients is about 2%, which is higher than the overall prevalence of cancer in the population (I think).
- This leads to a hypothesized conclusion that while there is not a lot of data for COVID-19 infection and cancer patients, there is an elevated risk for these patients. However, due to inconclusive and generally lacking data on this topic, this conclusion is not concrete.
- Many major cancer centers worldwide have taken extra precaution when it comes to the treatment of these patients as many cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy) weaken the immune system as a side effect.
- There has currently been no order to withhold chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or delaying adjuvant therapy to treat cancer patients, however extra care must be taken by patients and physicians alike to not allow these high-risk patients to become infected.

Cancer as a Comorbidity of COVID-19 

Menapace, L. A., & Thein, S. L. (2020). COVID-19 and sickle cell disease. Haematologica, 105(11), 2501–2504. https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2020.255398

URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7604559/

COVID-19 and sickle cell disease


- Hubei, China 
- Wuhan, China
- New York City, USA

Cancer in COVID-19 Patients by Geographical Location

- Hematologocial Cancers are types of cancers that affect the blood, including lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma.

Hematological Cancers and COVID-19

- Researchers aimed to investigate how different tumor types can influence the prevalence of severe SARS-CoV-2 and case-fatality rate.  It was determined that tumor type does have an effect on how susceptible one is to SARS-CoV-2 and the disease phenotypes that result.  In particular, COVID-19 patients with hematological cancers, such as myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma, appeared to be at higher risk of exhibiting more severe clinical outcomes, needed more intense support interventions, and were more likely to die than COVID-19 patients with malignancies that were not hematological.   

- COVID-19 patients with lung or prostate cancer did not exhibit a higher case-fatality rate than the other COVID-19 patients with other cancer types.  In addition, patients with malignancies in the female genital tract or with breast cancers seemed to be at a decreased risk of being infected with COVID-19 or dying from the virus, but this protection is rather a result of the patients being female, as indicated by a multivariable analysis conducted.  


COVID-19 Prevalence and Mortality in Patients with Cancer and the Effect of Primary Tumor Subtype and Patient Demographics

As cancer patients are 3.6 times more likely to progress to severe COVID-19 if infected than individuals without cancer, some critical questions around care and treatment for cancer patients need to be asked in order to maintain their safety. 



Clinical Considerations and Precautions for Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Sickle Cell Disease and COVID-19

• Emerging studies show a worse trend among cancer COVID-19 patients compared to non-cancer COVID-19 patients.

• Other studies also indicate that the percentages of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe events in cancer patients are not higher compared to the general population. Therefore, ongoing investigation is needed to better understand the comorbidity of COVID-19 and cancer.

• Because the majority of the reports associated with cancer patients with COVID-19 involve cohort studies with a relatively small sample size, limited clinical information, high heterogeneity of tumor stages and cancer types as well as diverse treatments, current understanding of the comorbidities are limited.

• Clinical outcomes and the biological basis for the comorbidity of cancer and COVID-19 remain to be resolved. 

• The possibility of COVID-19 recurrence brings a new sense of urgency to develop strategies to optimize the management and care of cancer patients with COVID-19. 

• The authors hope to bring attention to the symptoms, prognoses, and treatment options of cancer patients with COVID-19, and to stimulate research into the daunting challenge of addressing COVID-19 and cancer comorbidities.

COVID-19 in Cancer Patients: Risk, Clinical Features, and Management

- Since cancer patients are at such a high risk for COVID-19, it is very important that physicians keep their treatment regimens for all medications under extreme control and very monitored
- It was identified that patients with hematologic cancers tend to have poorer outcomes than those with solid tumors and therefore they must be kept under constant surveillance for COVID-19 infection
- The purpose of this paper is to give a 1-year recap on cancer management techniques instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic


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