ABSTRACT
Objective. The effects of SARS-CoV2 infection on paediatric oncology patients were not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 infections on these patients at CMJAH. Methods. Patients under 18 years and their caregivers were tested. Nasopharyngeal COVID-19 PCR tests were performed on all patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, and those admitted for procedures, chemotherapy and treatment of any intercurrent illness. Results of all COVID-19 swab tests with corresponding full blood count results were prospectively collected. Simple descriptive statistics were used to describe the study population. Results. From 1 May 2020 to 30 September 2021, 646 COVID-19 tests were performed on 432 patients. Thirteen tests (3% of patients) were positive. Six (0.9%) of the lodger caregivers also had positive swabs, suggesting positive contacts. Five of the positive patients were admitted for chemotherapy, and three were admitted for febrile neutropenia. No other patients were neutropenic. One neutropenic patient had COVID pneumonia, requiring facemask oxygen therapy and was managed safely in the in-patient ward. The most common symptoms included fever and mucositis (23%) followed by fever and cough (15%), while 54% were asymptomatic for COVID disease. All positive patients recovered fully and did not have any features of 'long COVID'. Conclusion. The low numbers of positive oncology patients for COVID-19 may be explained by effective isolation techniques owing to pre-existing immunosuppression and effective health education. The clinical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric oncology patients at CMJAH has been minimal.