EHA25Virtual: Adult Patients With Sickle Cell Disease May Be at Increased Risk of Adverse Outcomes From COVID-19

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassemia are severe inherited blood disorders, often referred to as "hemoglobinopathies." They predominantly affect the Black and Asian ethnic minority populations in England. To ensure good standards and equitable access to care, the National Health Service in England has recently commissioned a model of regional care networks overseen by a new body, the National Haemoglobinopathy Panel. This organizational structure has enabled a rapid response to the COVID-19 epidemic and enabled collection of national data on new cases and outcomes to determine if hemoglobinopathy patients are at risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes.

We present an analysis on data collected up to June 5th indicating that the majority of cases have been mild, and in particular children do not appear to be at increased risk. However, the data suggests that adults with SCD may be more vulnerable to adverse outcomes. Therefore, we recommend that isolation precautions should be lifted cautiously, and that new therapies and vaccination for COVID-19, when available, should be prioritized for this patient group.

Presenter: Dr Paul Telfer
Affiliation: Queen Mary University of London, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
Abstract: #LB2606 REAL-TIME NATIONAL SURVEY OF COVID-19 IN HEMOGLOBINOPATHY AND RARE INHERITED ANEMIA PATIENTS

About the EHA Annual Congress: Every year in June, EHA organizes its Annual Congress in a major European city. This year due to the COVID19 pandemic, EHA transformed its physical meeting into a Virtual Congress. The Congress is aimed at health professionals working in or interested in the field of hematology. The scientific program topics range from stem cell physiology and development to leukemia; lymphoma; diagnosis and treatment; red blood cells; white blood cells and platelet disorders; hemophilia and myeloma; thrombosis and bleeding disorders; as well as transfusion and stem cell transplantation. Embargo: Please note that our embargo policy applies to all selected abstracts in the Press Briefings. For more information, see our EHA Media and Embargo policy here.

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