The Latest COVID-19 and Haematology Journal Articles

Keep up to date with the latest in COVID-19 and haematology. Check out the latest COVID-19 and Haematology articles from leading medical journals in a single view, helping you discover relevant articles quickly and easily

• The impact of COVID-19 in the management of AL amyloidosis and Immunoglobulin Deposition Disease: A single center experience.16th November 2020
  Patients with AL amyloidosis and immunoglobulin deposition diseases (IDD) are vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the immune compromise from the plasma cell disorder and therapy related immune defects. We describe a local experience in providing care for patients with AL amyloidosis and IDD.Patient treatment and disease status since the beginning of the pandemic […]
• Delayed catastrophic thrombotic events in young and asymptomatic post COVID-19 patients7th November 2020
  We read with interest the editorial “Anticipating the long-term cardiovascular effects of COVID-19” which featured COVID-19 end-organ thrombotic complications. COVID-19 associated hypercoagulability and increased thromboembolism in COVID-19 has been well described. While the editorial raised the key question about “potential long-term cardiovascular effects (of COVID-19)”, little is known about the post COVID-19 vascular complications. In response, […]
• Ozone as Adjuvant Support in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Preliminary Report of Probiozovid Trial.28th October 2020
  The evaluation of new therapeutic resources against COVID-19 represents a priority in clinical research considering the minimal options currently available.To evaluate the adjuvant use of systemic oxygen-ozone administration in the early control of disease progression in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.PROBIOZOVID is an ongoing, interventional, randomized, prospective, double-arm trial enrolling patient with COVID-19 pneumonia. From a […]
• Evidence-based management of COVID-19 in cancer patients: Guideline by the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society for Haematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO).17th October 2020
  Since its first detection in China in late 2019 the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the associated infectious disease COVID-19 continue to have a major impact on global healthcare and clinical practice. Cancer patients, in particular those with haematological malignancies, seem to be at an increased risk for a severe course […]
• First Australian Case of Good Recovery of a COVID-19 Patient With Severe Neurological Symptoms Post Prolonged Hospitalization.16th October 2020
  A case of a 75-year-old man with COVID-19, severe neurological symptoms (acute stroke-like symptoms and signs and full recovery after a prolonged hospital stay), and intracranial hypertension is discussed with an in-depth review of his clinical features, biochemistry, haematology, highlighting the relationship between changes in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein level, D-dimer level, and the clinical onset of […]
• Association of Anticoagulation Dose and Survival in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Propensity Score Weighted Analysis.12th October 2020
  Hypercoagulability may contribute to COVID-19 pathogenicity. The role of anticoagulation (AC) at therapeutic (tAC) or prophylactic doses (pAC) is unclear.We evaluated the impact on survival of different AC doses in COVID-19 patients.Retrospective, multi-center cohort study of consecutive COVID-19 patients hospitalized between March 13th and May 5th, 2020.3480 patients were included (mean age, 64.5 years [17.0]; […]
• Transfusion requirements in patients with COVID-19.26th September 2020
  Since the emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019, our knowledge of the clinical implications of infection with SARS-CoV-2 has steadily grown. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 is broad, ranging from asymptomatic infection to multi-organ failure. COVID-19 induces a proinflammatory state, activating systemic coagulation and resulting in markedly elevated D-Dimers, fibrinogen and a prolongation of the […]
• COVID-19 and haematology services in a cancer centre from a middle-income country: adapting service delivery, balancing the known and unknown during the pandemic.24th September 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in multiple spheres of healthcare delivery in the world. Developing nations have had to tackle this unanticipated crisis in the midst of various other healthcare delivery issues and resource constraints. As a tertiary level cancer care provider located in an eastern Indian city, a COVID-19 hotspot, we share […]
• SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with haematological disorders: Severity and one-month outcome in 66 Danish patients in a nationwide cohort study.17th September 2020
  Patients with haematological disorders may be particularly vulnerable to respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, however this is unknown.We conducted a prospective, nationwide study including 66 patients in follow-up at Danish haematology departments with a malignant or non-malignant haematological disorder and with verified SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission and one-month survival […]
• Severe thrombocytopaenia secondary to COVID-19.16th September 2020
  The SARS-CoV-2 infection has caused a pandemic with a case rate of over 290 000 lab-confirmed cases and over 40 000 deaths in the UK. There is little evidence to inform the optimal management of a patient presenting with new or relapsed acute idiopathic thrombocytopaenic purpura with concurrent SARS-CoV-2 infection. We present a case of […]
• Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study.18th August 2020
  Several small studies on patients with COVID-19 and haematological malignancies are available showing a high mortality in this population. The Italian Hematology Alliance on COVID-19 aimed to collect data from adult patients with haematological malignancies who required hospitalisation for COVID-19.This multicentre, retrospective, cohort study included adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with diagnosis of a WHO-defined […]
• Characteristics of peripheral blood differential counts in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.15th August 2020
  A lot remains unknown about the features and laboratory findings that may predict worse outcomes in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in complete blood count parameters and differential counts in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who survived compared to those who died.We performed a single […]
• Managing the front-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and high-grade B-cell lymphoma during the COVID-19 outbreak.8th August 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically challenged care for cancer patients, especially those with active treatment that represent a vulnerable population for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Aggressive lymphoid neoplasms, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and high-grade B-cell lymphoma, need to be treated without delay in order to get the best disease outcome. Because of that, our clinical […]
• COVID-19 coagulopathy: an in-depth analysis of the coagulation system.5th August 2020
  Abnormal coagulation parameters have been reported in COVID-19 patients. Although the underlying mechanism of COVID-19 coagulopathy remains unknown, it has been suggested to be a form of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).The aim of our study was to analyze the coagulation parameters of patients with COVID-19, determine if coagulation factors consumption occurs and identify potential prognostic […]
• Outcome of COVID-19 in multiple myeloma patients in relation to treatment.4th August 2020
  COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic. Cancer patients have been reported to be at higher risk for adverse outcome of COVID-19. Studies are ongoing to decipher the risk factors and risk groups among cancer patients as well as strategies to refine treatment approaches. Here, we report eight patients with multiple myeloma that underwent immunomodulatory […]
• Abnormal concentration of porphyrins in serum from COVID-19 patients.4th August 2020
  COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is not only a lung disease but rather a systemic syndrome where blood alterations may play a key role (1). Severe cases show a marked variation in the red blood cell distribution width (2), which agrees well with reduced erythrocyte […]
• Alice in Wonderland of blood groups and COVID-19.3rd August 2020
  I read with great interest the recently published article by Li et al.,1 which suggests that a risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may be significantly higher in subjects with blood-group A and significantly lower in those with blood-group O. This case-control study compared the ABO blood-group distribution in 265 cases […]
• Thrombolysis restores perfusion in COVID 19 hypoxia.1st August 2020
  Thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is an established treatment strategy for patients with intermediate and high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) and signs of haemodynamic instability. The use of tPA in coronavirus disease -19 (COVID-19) patients with PE and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may be of benefit due to the unusually high incidence of pulmonary […]
• [COVID-19 from the Perspective of Haematology and Haemostaseology].31st July 2020
  Infection with SARS-COV-2 leads to a number of pathologies in the hematopoetic system that have significant impact on clinical symptoms and mortality. There are 3 stages of infection: (1) early upper respiratory tract infection with fever and lymphopenia (2) pulmonary phase and (3) hyperinflammatory phase with the clinical signs of organ failure such as ARDS/shock. […]
• Clinical course and risk factors for mortality from COVID-19 in patients with haematological malignancies.26th July 2020
  The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in haematological patients (HP) has not been reported to date.We analyzed 39 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and haematological malignancies. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared to a matched control group of 53 non-cancer patients with COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to assess the risk factors […]
• Increased CD95 (Fas) and PD-1 expression in peripheral blood T lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients.18th July 2020
  A low count of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes is a hallmark laboratory finding in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Using flow cytometry, we observed significantly higher CD95 (Fas) and PD-1 expression on both CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in 42 COVID-19 patients when compared to controls. Higher CD95 expression in CD4+ cells correlated with […]
• Transfusion demand in COVID-19 patients from the Korean population: a nationwide study in South Korea.18th July 2020
  As patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) often present coagulopathy depending on disease severity, appropriate prevention and treatment for hemodynamics control are most essential for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management (Helms, et al 2020). Although several papers alarmed the decrease of blood donation in the COVID-19 pandemic as expected (Mohammadi, et […]
• Clinical outcomes and risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection in patients with haematological disorders receiving chemo- or immunotherapy.18th July 2020
  Haematology patients receiving chemo- or immunotherapy are considered to be at greater risk of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify risk factors for COVID-19 severity and assess outcomes in patients where COVID-19 complicated the treatment of their haematological disorder. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 55 patients with haematological disorders and COVID-19, […]
• Single-cell oxygen saturation imaging shows that gas exchange by red blood cells is not impaired in COVID-19 patients.18th July 2020
  SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection is characterised by a marked inflammatory state and viral pneumonitis. A striking clinical feature is severe hypoxaemia, often in the presence of near-normal lung mechanics. Get PDF with LibKey View the article @ British journal of haematology (sign-in may be required)
• Clinical characteristics, management and outcome of Covid-19-associated immune thrombocytopenia. A French multicenter series.18th July 2020
  The causes of secondary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), which account for approximately 18 to 20% of all adult ITP cases, include some viral infections (Cines et al, 2009; Moulis et al, 2014). Indeed, ITP can be triggered by or associated with many viruses including hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and others like […]
• An integrated electronic health record facilitates a safer and more efficient rural outreach haematology service.17th July 2020
  Rural Australian oncology patients are known to have inferior mortality rates compared to metropolitan patients, possibly related to access to appropriate healthcare services and treatments. Electronic systems improve the safety of chemotherapy administration and allow easily accessible patient information and data collection.To integrate the electronic healthcare delivery systems at a metropolitan hospital and a rural […]
• Hematolological Manifestations of COVID-19: From Cytopenia to Coagulopathy.15th July 2020
  s Emerging data from the management of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests multisystemic involvement, including the hemopoietic system. The hematological manifestations of COVID-19 include blood count anomalies notably lymphopenia and neutrophilia which are of prognostic significance. Hyperferritinemia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase have also been associated with increased mortality. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence […]
• Haematological characteristics and risk factors in the classification and prognosis evaluation of COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.14th July 2020
  COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic. Changes in haematological characteristics in patients with COVID-19 are emerging as important features of the disease. We aimed to explore the haematological characteristics and related risk factors in patients with COVID-19.This retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 admitted to three designated sites of Wuhan Union Hospital (Wuhan, China). […]
• Blood cell counts and lymphocyte subsets of patients admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective cohort study.12th July 2020
  Aberrant blood cell counts, most prominently lymphopenia, have been identified as markers of the degree of severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Terpos et al, 2020; Yang et al, 2020; Wan et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020; Zhao et al, 2020). However, most of these studies lack comparison to a COVID-19 negative, contemporary control […]
• Varying Presentations and Favourable Outcomes of COVID-19 Infection in Children and Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: An Additional Case Series with Comparisons to Published Cases.12th July 2020
  Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are theoretically at greater risk for serious illness from COVID 19 due to the underlying pathophysiology of chronic inflammation with an increased risk of thrombosis, especially at the time of a vaso-occlusive event (1). Individuals living with SCD are also considered to be immunocompromised due to autoinfarction of their […]
• Remdesivir during induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection.12th July 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic potentially makes treatment of acute leukaemia more difficult. Most induction chemotherapy regimens for acute leukaemia lead to extended periods of cytopaenia and immunosuppression rendering patients vulnerable to opportunistic infections. As with many aspects of SARS-CoV-2, there is no universally accepted way of treating patients who present with acute leukaemia and associated infection. […]
• Double-bright (CD56bright/CD16bright) NK cell adoptive immunotherapy for SARS-CoV-2.10th July 2020
  SARS-CoV-2, affecting predominantly elderlies, was recognized as a global pandemic in March 11th , 2020; clinical signs and laboratory alterations are similar to previous coronavirus epidemics with lymphocytopenia and neutrophilia observed in severe cases. Click here to read the full article @ British journal of haematology
• COVID-19 comorbidities, associated pro-coagulant extracellular vesicles and venous thromboembolisms: a possible link with ethnicity?10th July 2020
  Several comorbidities predict mortality in patients with COVID-19, some of which are more prevalent in Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from cells are nano-sized membrane-bound vesicles that carry nucleic acids and proteins and mediate intercellular communication. In COVID-19 associated comorbidities including diabetes, CVD and risk factors such as hypertension, […]
• CoVID-19 insights from transfusion medicine.9th July 2020
  The emergence of CoVID-19 infection in the first months of 2020 resulted in a massive surge in admissions to hospitals and intensive care units due to the nature of the respiratory pathophysiology. In some countries, health care systems were rapidly overwhelmed, while in others their hospitals coped with the first wave and all patients received […]
• Blood Component Use in Critical Care in Patients with COVID-19 Infection: A Single Centre Experience.9th July 2020
  There has been a significant surge in admissions to critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, the demands on blood components have not been described. We reviewed their use during the first 6 weeks of the outbreak from 3rd March 2020 in a tertiary-level critical care department providing veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). 265 […]
• Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply and use of blood for transfusion.7th July 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic has major implications for blood transfusion. There are uncertain patterns of demand, and transfusion institutions need to plan for reductions in donations and loss of crucial staff because of sickness and public health restrictions. We systematically searched for relevant studies addressing the transfusion chain-from donor, through collection and processing, to patients-to provide […]
• Heterogeneity in reporting venous thromboembolic phenotypes in COVID-19: Methodological issues and clinical implications.5th July 2020
  COVID-19 is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). However, there is significant heterogeneity in the thromboembolic phenotypes of COVID-19 patients (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism/thrombosis). The latter might be partly attributed to the variation in VTE risk factors in COVID-19 patients including: (i) patients’ characteristics; (ii) hospitalization conditions and interventions; (iii) SARS-Cov-2 […]
• COVID-19 pandemic and management of GIMEMA clinical trials: changes and challenges.5th July 2020
  With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic (Wang et al, 2020), Italy – and in particular the largest Northern regions – became disease epicenter with a dramatic raise in infections and deaths in the month of March. Click here to read the full article @ British journal of haematology
• Endotheliopathy in COVID-19-associated coagulopathy: evidence from a single-centre, cross-sectional study.4th July 2020
  An important feature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pathogenesis is COVID-19-associated coagulopathy, characterised by increased thrombotic and microvascular complications. Previous studies have suggested a role for endothelial cell injury in COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. To determine whether endotheliopathy is involved in COVID-19-associated coagulopathy pathogenesis, we assessed markers of endothelial cell and platelet activation in critically […]
• ABO Phenotype and Death in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19.2nd July 2020
  Blood groups are inherited traits that vary across populations, likely due to both founder effects and natural selection. A link between blood groups and susceptibility to infectious disease has been well-described, with notable examples being H. Pylori and Plasmodium falciparum infection. Blood group antigens may influence disease susceptibility by several mechanisms, including serving as receptors […]
• Concerns about how to use established minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in the treatment of NPM1-mutant AML following reduced intensity chemotherapy protocols for AML given as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.2nd July 2020
  In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the predicted risk of severe infection in immunocompromised patients, chemotherapy protocols for patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) have been modified in some patients to newer, less myelosuppressive regimens than standard induction chemotherapy. However, the modifications to treatment have occurred at such a considerable pace due to the […]
• Favorable COVID-19 course despite significant comorbidities in a ruxolitinib-treated patient with primary myelofibrosis.28th June 2020
  COVID-19 carries a high risk of severe disease course, particularly in patients with comorbidities. Therapy of severe COVID-19 infection has relied on supportive intensive care measures. More specific approaches including drugs that limit the detrimental “cytokine storm”, such as Janus-activated kinase (JAK) inhibitors, are being discussed. Here, we report a compelling case of a 55-yo […]
• Myeloma care adaptations in the UK during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: challenges and measurable outcomes.28th June 2020
  Following the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, cancer clinicians have been faced with the challenge of continuing to manage patients, with limited data to inform practice (Poortmans et al 2020). Recently, a large prospective cohort study of 800 cancer patients diagnosed with symptomatic COVID-19 demonstrated a mortality rate of 28%, which was largely […]
• Successful treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia with hydroxycarbamide in a patient presenting with acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia.28th June 2020
  On 30th March 2020, a 57-year-old male patient presented to the Emergency Department with a 6-day history of cough, persistent fevers and worsening dyspnoea. His only known comorbidity was hypertension, managed with amlodipine and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. On admission, he was tachypnoeic and in severe hypoxic respiratory failure with dangerously low peripheral oxygen saturations […]
• Convalescent plasma for persisting Covid-19 following therapeutic lymphocyte depletion: a report of rapid recovery.28th June 2020
  We read with deep interest the report by Tepasse and colleagues1 , concerning two cases of persisting viremia in Covid-19 with fatal outcome. Whilst SARS-CoV-2 infection in the early stages of infection has been well described, less is known about the development of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, clearance of RNA shedding and clinical outcome of COVID-19. […]
• Ruxolitinib for tocilizumab-refractory severe COVID-19 infection.28th June 2020
  Whilst the majority of patients with COVID-19 infection have mild self-limiting symptoms, for some the SARS-CoV2 virus can trigger a severe hyperinflammatory syndrome which is life threatening. Anti-IL6 therapy has shown promise in restraining the hyperinflammatory syndrome and while IL-6 is a pleiotropic mediatory of the inflammatory response, redundancy within inflammatory pathways means that the […]
• Sickle Cell Trait and The Potential Risk of Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019- A Mini-Review.27th June 2020
  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a rapidly evolving public health problem. The severity of COVID-19 cases reported hitherto has varied greatly from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia and thromboembolism with subsequent mortality. An improved understanding of risk factors for adverse clinical outcomes may shed some light on novel personalized approaches to optimize clinical care in […]
• COVID-19 mortality in patients on anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents.26th June 2020
  Coagulopathy (Tang, et al 2020) and a prothrombotic diathesis with high D-dimer and fibrinogen levels (Al-Samkari, et al 2020) are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Extensive thrombosis in small vessels and the microvasculature in lungs and extrapulmonary organs has been confirmed histologically (Zhang et al […]
• Combined IL-6 and JAK-STAT inhibition therapy in COVID-19 related sHLH, potential game changer.26th June 2020
  Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by novel SARS-CoV-2, leads to significant mortality and morbidity with increasing evidence for inflammatory pathways being implicated in the lung damage it causes. (1,2) Severe COVID-19 patients present with increased inflammatory markers, akin to secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), that have been shown to predict mortality. (3,4) There is emerging evidence […]
• Amelioration of COVID-19 related cytokine storm syndrome: Parallels to chimeric antigen receptor-T cell cytokine release syndrome.26th June 2020
  Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) severity appears to parallel the host immune response, with a subset of patients developing COVID-19 cytokine storm syndrome (CSS).(1) Serum inflammatory cytokines are elevated in COVID-19,(2-5) and interleukin (IL)-6 appears to play a central role in COVID-19 related CSS.(6-8) Based on the success of IL-6 receptor blockade for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell […]
• Successful remission induction therapy with gilteritinib in a patient with de novo FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukaemia and severe COVID-19.26th June 2020
  The optimal treatment for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)/COVID-19 is unknown.1 We report the case of a previously fit 27-year-old male who presented with a 3-day history of fever (>39 C), swollen, erythematous elbows and no respiratory symptoms. His white blood count […]
• Special considerations in the management of adult patients with acute leukaemias and myeloid neoplasms in the COVID-19 era: recommendations from a panel of international experts.22nd June 2020
  The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a global public health crisis. Multiple observations indicate poorer post-infection outcomes for patients with cancer than for the general population. Herein, we highlight the challenges in caring for patients with acute leukaemias and myeloid neoplasms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We summarise key […]
• Persisting SARS-CoV-2 viremia after rituximab therapy: Two cases with fatal outcome and a review of literature.20th June 2020
  COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The role of immunosuppression in disease course is not clear. Here we describe the lethal disease course in two SARS-CoV-2 infected patients after rituximab therapy.Clinical data and laboratory findings of two SARS-CoV-2 infected rituximab treated patients were collected. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in blood.Both patients developed […]
• Haematological Cancers and the risk of severe COVID-19: Exploration and critical evaluation of the evidence to date.20th June 2020
  From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and health care professionals have been concerned that a history of haematological malignancy will lead to an increased risk of severe COVID-19. This led to the UK government advising patients with blood cancers to shield, massive re-organisation of NHS haematology and cancer services, and changes in treatment […]
• Unexpected kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies in two patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.20th June 2020
  Recently, Baumann et al. described the characteristics and outcomes of four patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed with symptomatic COVID-19. The course of the disease was mild, and no patient required admission in an intensive care unit. The authors speculate that the CLL-related immunodeficiency might be beneficial in the outcome of the COVID-19 and […]
• Janus faced course of COVID-19 infection in patients with hematological malignancies.20th June 2020
  The COVID-19 pandemic affects most countries of the world resulting in significant morbidity and mortality from this infection with SARS-CoV2 (1). It was reported that among others specifically patients with cancer (including patients with hematological malignancies) are at a higher risk for severe and fatal infection (2). Here, we report three consecutive patients with underlying […]
• Thrombocytopenia is independently associated with poor outcome in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.20th June 2020
  Thrombocytopenia (defined by platelet count <150 x 109 /L) has been observed in up to 36% of patients with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; Guan et al, 2020). In this setting, thrombocytopenia is usually mild, caused by platelet activation and consumption (Thachil, 2020; Pavord […]
• Rapid screening of COVID-19 patients by White blood cells scattergrams, a study on 381 patients.17th June 2020
  Complementary tools are warranted to increase the sensitivity of the initial testing for COVID-19. We identified a specific “sandglass” aspect on the white blood cells scattergram of COVID-19 patients reflecting the presence of circulating plasmacytoid lymphocytes. Patients were dichotomized as COVID-19 positive or negative based on RT-PCR and chest CT scan results. Sensitivity and specificity […]
• Regional outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in hospitalised patients with haematological malignancy.17th June 2020
  We sought to characterise the outcomes of patients with haematological malignancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospital in our regional network of 7 hospitals.Consecutive hospitalised patients with haematological malignancy and SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified from 01/03/2020 to 06/05/2020. Outcomes were categorised as death, resolved, or ongoing. The primary outcome was preliminary case fatality rate (pCFR), defined […]
• C1-INH and the contact system in COVID-19.13th June 2020
  COVID-19 is frequently associated with severe systemic consequences, including vasculitis, a hyperinflammatory state and hypercoagulation. The mechanisms leading to these life-threatening abnormalities are multifactorial. Based on the analysis of publicly available interactomes, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 infection directly causes a deficiency in C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), a pathogen-specific mechanism that may help explain significant systemic […]