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Updated: Nov 10, 2025

A Precision Medicine Tool for Measurement and Monitoring of Hemoglobin S in Sickle Cell Disease Patients Receiving Transfusion Therapy
Is sickle cell disease a risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients? A multicenter national
Abdulkarim Abdulrahman1,2, Mohammed Wael3, Fajer AlAmmadi4
1National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Riffa Bahrain.
Introduction:
Studies that examine the association between sickle cell disease (SCD) and COVID-19 outcomes are lacking. This study aims to determine whether SCD is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection in regard to the requirement of noninvasive ventilation/high flow nasal cannula (NIV/HFNC), mechanical ventilation (MV), or death in hospitalized patients.
Methods:
Retrospective cohort study included COVID-19 patients admitted to four COVID-19 treatment facilities in Bahrain between February 24, 2020 and July 31, 2020. All SCD patients with COVID-19 were included and compared to a randomly selected sample of non-SCD patients with COVID-19. Data were collected from the medical records. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to control for confounders and estimate the effect of SCD on the outcomes.
Results:
1792 patients with COVID-19 were included; 38 of whom were diagnosed with SCD as well. In the SCD group, one (2.6%) patient required NIV/HFNC, one (2.6%) required MV, and one (2.6%) death occurred. In comparison, 56 (3.2%) of the non-SCD patients required NIV/HFNC, 47 (2.7%) required MV, and death occurred in 58 (3.3%) patients. Upon adjusting for confounders, SCD had an odds ratio of 1.847 (95% CI: 0.39-8.83; p = 0.442).
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that SCD is not a risk factor for worse COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients.
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