ABSTRACT
Introduction: The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection in children with cancer have been variable worldwide. Therefore, we aimed to collect data from all regions in India through a national collaborative study and identify factors that cause mortality directly related to COVID-19 infection. Method(s): Data was collected prospectively on children across India on cancer therapy and diagnosed with COVID-19 infections from 47 centers from April 2020 to October 2021. Information was recorded on the demographics, the number of children that required intervention, and the outcome of the infection. In addition, we analyzed the impact of the delta variant in 2021. Result(s): A total of 659 children were studied, of whom 64% were male and 36% were female. The data from the eastern region was sparse, and this was a collection bias. COVID-19 infection was predominantly seen in children less than five years. The delta variant had a higher impact in the southern region, and this was statistically significant. Of the 659 children, 30 children died (4.5%), however only 7 of the deaths were directly attributed to COVID-19 infection (1%). Conclusion(s): The study reports the largest nationally representative cohort of children with cancer and COVID-19 to date in India. We identified demographic and clinical factors associated with increased all-cause mortality in patients with cancer. Complete characterization of the cohort has provided further insights into the effects of COVID-19 on cancer outcomes. The low mortality allows us to recommend that specific cancer treatments be continued without delays in therapy.Copyright © 2022
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects children but mostly has mild course. There is meagre published data on the impact of COVID-19 illness in children with Severe Aplastic anemia (SAA). We describe our experience of managing COVID-19 in children with SAA. Method: Three children of SAA who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection are included in this study. Results: Patient 1 was post Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) for SAA and had an asymptomatic course and uneventful recovery. Patient 2 was several months post IST with no response and had an asymptomatic COVID-19 illness but had delayed viral clearance, however he succumbed to bacterial sepsis soon after. Patient 3 was awaiting IST and while he contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, he had symptomatic COVID-19 illness followed by bacterial and fungal sepsis to which he succumbed. Conclusion: COVID-19 in children with SAA can be mild to fatal course and virus may have delayed clearance. It can lead to delay in therapy of SAA. © 2022 Pediatric Hematology Oncology Chapter of Indian Academy of Pediatrics