COVID-19 infection in children with cancer in Armenia: report for the whole pandemic period
https://doi.org/10.21682/2311-1267-2023-10-3-11-14
Abstract
Background and aims. Immunocompromised pediatric patients with cancer are more susceptible to experiencing severe COVID-19 infection compared to other children. In a global registry study of childhood cancer with COVID-19, involving 1500 patients, severe of critical infections were detected in 20 % of the cases. The mortality rate of 4 % excelled that of the general pediatric population. Data about the development of COVID-19 complications in children with cancer remains limited and varies across different countries. This study aims to describe the incidence and characteristics of COVID-19 infection in children with cancer in Armenia.
Methods. A prospective analysis was conducted on PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in children with cancer aged 0–18 years from 2020 to 2022 at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Yeolyan Hematology Center, the only pediatric hematology/ oncology institution in our country.
Results. Between June 2020 and March 2022, we studied 201 children with cancer in Armenia, of whom 35 cases of COVID-19 infection were confirmed. The median age was 8.4, and the male/female ratio was 1.3. Among the COVID-19-positive patients, 15 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 5 had lymphomas, 4 patients had neuroblastoma, and 2 each had medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. There were single cases of osteosarcoma, acute myeloid leukemia and malignant triton tumor. Twenty patients (57 %) were asymptomatic, and the rest presented with fever, sore throat, and cough. Among the patients with hematological malignancies, four developed pneumonia, and two of them experienced cancer progression subsequently. Additionally, four patients had pancytopenia/thrombocytopenia, likely due to the infection with the Omicron in the last three months of the mentioned period. Overall, the incidence of COVID-19 complications was 11 %, and mortality was zero.
Conclusion. This is the first nationwide report on COVID-19 in children with cancer in Armenia. The findings indicate lower rates of severe infection and mortality among compared to global estimates. Further studies are emerging to explore these differences.
About the Authors
I. Melnichenko
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist and Head of the Survivorship Clinic at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
R. Papyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University; Immune Oncology Research Institute
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist, Head of Musculoskeletal Multidisciplinary Working Group at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Assistant Professor at the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University; Clinical Research Physician at Immune Oncology Research Institute
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
Y. Margaryan
The Institute of Cancer & Crisis
Armenia
Armenia
MD, MPH, Executive Director and co-founder of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
E. Minasyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Third-year fellow of the Hematology and Pediatric Oncology Department of Yerevan State Medical University, based in the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
S. Hovhannisyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, MPH, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
M. Minasyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
M. Petrosyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
L. Hambardzumyan
Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Fellow of the Hematology and Pediatric Oncology Department of Yerevan State Medical Universit
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
H. Grigoryan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
S. Hovsepyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University;Immune Oncology Research Institute
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist and Hematologist, Research Fellow at the Immune-oncology Research Institute
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
L. Krmoyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Assistant Professor at the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
L. Hakobyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Assistant Professor at the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
S. Iskanyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
S. Danielyan
Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, PhD, Director of Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
L. Vagharshakyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Hematologist and Head of Pediatric Hematology Department at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Assistant Professor at the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
N. Azizyan
National Center of Oncology after V.A. Fanarjian
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pulmonologist and the Deputy Head of the Diagnostic Service at the National Center of Oncology after V.A. Fanarjian
76 Fanarjian St., Yerevan 0052
M. Grigoryan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Department of Infectious Diseases, Yerevan State Medical University
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
S. Atoyan
National Infectious Diseases Center of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia
MD, MPH, Director of the National Infectious Diseases Center of Armenia
2 Acharyan St., Yerevan 0041
G. Tamamyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University; Immune Oncology Research Institute; The Institute of Cancer & Crisis; Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan
Armenia
Armenia
MD, MSc, PhD, DSc, Head of the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Chairman and Professor of the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University; CEO of the Immune Oncology Research Institute; President-Elect of the Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean (POEM) Group; Editor-in-chief of OncoDaily.com
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
L. Sargsyan
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Yerevan State Medical University
Armenia
Armenia
MD, Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist and the Head of Pediatric Oncology Department at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology center after Prof. R.H. Yeolyan; Assistant Professor at the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology, Yerevan State Medical University
7 Nersisyan St., Yerevan 0014
2 Koryun St., Yerevan 0025
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Review
For citations:
Melnichenko I., Papyan R., Margaryan Y., Minasyan E., Hovhannisyan S., Minasyan M., Petrosyan M., Hambardzumyan L., Grigoryan H., Hovsepyan S., Krmoyan L., Hakobyan L., Iskanyan S., Danielyan S., Vagharshakyan L., Azizyan N., Grigoryan M., Atoyan S., Tamamyan G., Sargsyan L. COVID-19 infection in children with cancer in Armenia: report for the whole pandemic period. Russian Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. 2023;10(3):11-14. https://doi.org/10.21682/2311-1267-2023-10-3-11-14
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