ABSTRACT
To understand the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 in the sickle cell disease (SCD) population, our team established a rapid reporting registry to collect data on the course of COVID-19 illness in individuals with SCD. The registry includes cases reported voluntarily by providers. All data are collected through an online case report form available at covidsicklecell.org. The registry helped to recognize patients with SCD as a population at risk of severe COVID-19 illness and to identify comorbidities that put them at higher risk. In this report, we present data on 1045 reported COVID-19 cases based during a two-year long data collection period. Data include 590 (56.5%) children and 455 (43.5%) adults; 51.2% of total population were female. Most individuals (63.1%) had HbSS genotype. Majority of individuals experienced mild symptoms (62.2% of children, 55.6% of adults). We also present a perspective on setting up the registry and experiences through its growth.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Sickle Cell , COVID-19 , Child , Adult , Humans , Female , Male , Anemia, Sickle Cell/epidemiology , Anemia, Sickle Cell/genetics , Anemia, Sickle Cell/therapyABSTRACT
Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at high risk of developing serious infections, therefore, understanding the impact that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection has on this population is important. We sought to identify factors associated with hospitalization and serious COVID-19 illness in children and adults with SCD.We established the international SECURE-SCD Registry to collect data on patients with SCD and COVID-19 illness. We used multivariable logistic models to estimate the independent effects of age, sex, genotype, hydroxyurea, and SCD-related and -nonrelated comorbidities on hospitalization, serious COVID-19 illness, and pain as a presenting symptom during COVID-19 illness. As of 23 March 2021, 750 COVID-19 illness cases in patients with SCD were reported to the registry. We identified history of pain (relative risk [RR], 2.15; P < .0001) and SCD heart/lung comorbidities (RR, 1.61; P = .0001) as risk factors for hospitalization in children. History of pain (RR, 1.78; P = .002) was also a risk factor for hospitalization in adults. Children with history of pain (RR, 3.09; P = .009), SCD heart/lung comorbidities (RR, 1.76; P = .03), and SCD renal comorbidities (RR, 3.67; P < .0001) and adults with history of pain (RR 1.94, P = .02) were at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness. History of pain and SCD renal comorbidities also increased risk of pain during COVID-19 in children; history of pain, SCD heart/lung comorbidities, and female sex increased risk of pain during COVID-19 in adults. Hydroxyurea showed no effect on hospitalization and COVID-19 severity, but it lowered the risk of presenting with pain in adults during COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Sickle Cell , COVID-19 , Adult , Anemia, Sickle Cell/complications , Anemia, Sickle Cell/epidemiology , Child , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Risk Factors , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Sickle cell disease (SCD) disproportionately affects Black or African American persons in the United States and can cause multisystem organ damage and reduced lifespan. Among 178 persons with SCD in the United States who were reported to an SCD-coronavirus disease case registry, 122 (69%) were hospitalized and 13 (7%) died.