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COVID-19 and sickle cell disease in Bahrain

Abdulkarim AbdulRahman1, Salman AlAli2, Omar Yaghi2

  • 1Bahrain National Taskforce to Combat COVID-19, Mohammed Bin Khalifa Cardiac Centre, Bahrain.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
|September 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients did not increase disease severity. SCD patients infected with COVID-19 showed similar outcomes and recovery rates compared to non-SCD patients.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the hemoglobin beta chain, implicated in sickle cell disease (SCD).
  • The potential impact of COVID-19 on SCD patient outcomes requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if COVID-19 infection exacerbates disease severity in individuals with sickle cell disease.
  • To compare clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in SCD patients versus the general population.

Main Methods:

  • Mass screening for COVID-19 in the Bahraini population from February to April 2020.
  • Analysis of COVID-19 infection rates and clinical presentations in sickle cell disease patients.

Main Results:

  • Out of 38,092 individuals screened, 378 (1%) had sickle cell disease.
  • Six SCD patients (1.6%) contracted COVID-19, with outcomes ranging from asymptomatic to mild symptoms requiring oxygen.
  • Average length of stay for SCD patients with COVID-19 was comparable to non-SCD patients.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 infection rates in sickle cell disease patients were similar to the general population.
  • The clinical course and viral clearance for COVID-19 were not significantly different between SCD and non-SCD patients.
  • Sickle cell disease does not appear to increase the severity of COVID-19.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2Sickle cell disease

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