Decoding the historical tale: COVID-19 impact on haematological malignancy patients—EPICOVIDEHA insights from 2020 to 2022

EPICOVIDEHA registry, Jon Salmanton-García*, Francesco Marchesi, Francesca Farina, Barbora Weinbergerová, Federico Itri, Julio Dávila-Valls, Sonia Martín-Pérez, Andreas Glenthøj, Ditte Stampe Hersby, Maria Gomes da Silva, Raquel Nunes Rodrigues, Alberto López-García, Raúl Córdoba, Yavuz M. Bilgin, Iker Falces-Romero, Shaimaa El-Ashwah, Ziad Emarah, Caroline Besson, Milena KohnJaap Van Doesum, Emanuele Ammatuna, Monia Marchetti, Jorge Labrador, Giovanni Paolo Maria Zambrotta, Luisa Verga, Ozren Jaksic, Marcio Nucci, Klára Piukovics, Alba Cabirta-Touzón, Moraima Jiménez, Elena Arellano, Ildefonso Espigado, Ola Blennow, Anna Nordlander, Stef Meers, Jens van Praet, Tommaso Francesco Aiello, Carolina Garcia-Vidal, Nicola Fracchiolla, Mariarita Sciumè, Guldane Cengiz Seval, Pavel Žák, Caterina Buquicchio, Carlo Tascini, Stefanie K. Gräfe, Martin Schönlein, Tatjana Adžić-Vukičević, Valentina Bonuomo, Chiara Cattaneo, Summiya Nizamuddin

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)
    25 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened risks for individuals with hematological malignancies due to compromised immune systems, leading to more severe outcomes and increased mortality. While interventions like vaccines, targeted antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies have been effective for the general population, their benefits for these patients may not be as pronounced. 

    Methods: The EPICOVIDEHA registry (National Clinical Trials Identifier, NCT04733729) gathers COVID-19 data from hematological malignancy patients since the pandemic's start worldwide. It spans various global locations, allowing comprehensive analysis over the first three years (2020–2022). 

    Findings: The EPICOVIDEHA registry collected data from January 2020 to December 2022, involving 8767 COVID-19 cases in hematological malignancy patients from 152 centers across 41 countries, with 42% being female. Over this period, there was a significant reduction in critical infections and an overall decrease in mortality from 29% to 4%. However, hospitalization, particularly in the ICU, remained associated with higher mortality rates. Factors contributing to increased mortality included age, multiple comorbidities, active malignancy at COVID-19 onset, pulmonary symptoms, and hospitalization. On the positive side, vaccination with one to two doses or three or more doses, as well as encountering COVID-19 in 2022, were associated with improved survival. 

    Interpretation: Patients with hematological malignancies still face elevated risks, despite reductions in critical infections and overall mortality rates over time. Hospitalization, especially in ICUs, remains a significant concern. The study underscores the importance of vaccination and the timing of COVID-19 exposure in 2022 for enhanced survival in this patient group. Ongoing monitoring and targeted interventions are essential to support this vulnerable population, emphasizing the critical role of timely diagnosis and prompt treatment in preventing severe COVID-19 cases. 

    Funding: Not applicable.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number102553
    Number of pages20
    JournalEClinicalMedicine
    Volume71
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - May-2024

    Keywords

    • COVID-19
    • Haematological malignancy
    • ICU
    • Immunosuppression
    • Vaccination

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