SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Retrospective Study

Background and aims Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the first pandemic wave, SARS-CoV-2 had developed significant changes and mutations that resulted in the emergence of different strains. Each strain varies in its virulence and disease severity. Most reports have shown that the Omicron variant causes mild illness. Little is known about the impact of Omicron in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. We present patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who had infection with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 and their outcomes. Materials and methods  Retrospective data from the records of the National Center for Cancer Care and Research from December 20, 2021, to January 30, 2022. Participants were adults over the age of 18 years with Omicron infection who had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia according to World Health Organization classifications from 2008 and 2016. Results Eleven patients with chronic myeloid leukemia had Omicron infection. All patients had a mild disease according to the World Health Organization classification of COVID-19 severity. The majority of patients were young males.  Conclusions In patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, infection with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 usually results in mild disease not requiring hospitalization.