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COVID-19 in patients affected by red blood cell disorders, results from the European registry ERN-EuroBloodNet
  • +63
  • Pablo Velasco Puyó,
  • Soteroula Christou,
  • Saveria Campisi,
  • Maria A. Rodríguez-Sánchez,
  • Sara Reidel,
  • Santiago Pérez-Hoyos,
  • Miriam Mota,
  • Irene Savvidou,
  • Anna Rekleiti,
  • Alessandra Salvo,
  • Voi Vincenzo,
  • Giovanni Battista Ferrero,
  • Giorgia Mandrile,
  • Carmen Maria Gaglioti,
  • Elena Cela,
  • Beatriz Ponce Salas,
  • Eduardo Bardón-Cancho,
  • Pagona Flevari,
  • Ersi Voskaridou,
  • Erfan NUR,
  • Bart J. Biemond,
  • Polyxeni Delaporta,
  • David Beneitez-Pastor,
  • Anna Collado Gimbert,
  • Anna Spasiano,
  • Tatiana Besse-Hammer,
  • Ioannis G. Lafiatis,
  • Laurence Dedeken,
  • Simona Raso,
  • Anna Ruiz Llobet,
  • Sabrina Bagnato,
  • Veerle Labarque,
  • Andreas Glenthøj,
  • Giovan Battista Ruffo,
  • Maria Elena Guerzoni,
  • Kaoutar Hafraoui,
  • Laura Pistoia,
  • Rosamaria Rosso,
  • Laura Tagliaferri,
  • Paula Gonzalez-Urdiales,
  • Fleur Samantha Benghiat,
  • Mariane de Montalembert,
  • Maria Jose Teles,
  • Anna Vanderfaeillie,
  • Elisa Bertoni,
  • Daniela Cuzzubbo,
  • Teresa Ferreira,
  • Christopher J. Saunders,
  • Eftychia Stiakaki,
  • Ann L. Van de Velde,
  • Michael D. Diamantidis,
  • Jean-Louis KERKHOFFS,
  • Marisa I. Oliveira,
  • Alessandra Quota,
  • Roberta Russo,
  • An Van Damme,
  • María Argüello Marina,
  • Mikael Lorite Reggiori,
  • Anita W. Rijneveld,
  • Alexis Rodríguez Gallego,
  • Raffaella Colombatti,
  • Achille Iolascon,
  • Ali Taher,
  • Béatrice Gulbis,
  • Noémi B.A. Roy,
  • Mañú Pereira Maria Manu
Pablo Velasco Puyó
Hospital Infantil i l'Hospital de la Dona de Vall d'Hebron

Corresponding Author:pablo.velascopuyo@vallhebron.cat

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Soteroula Christou
Archbishop Makarios III Hospital (NAMIII
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Saveria Campisi
Ospedale Umberto I di Siracusa
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Maria A. Rodríguez-Sánchez
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
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Sara Reidel
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
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Santiago Pérez-Hoyos
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
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Miriam Mota
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
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Irene Savvidou
Archbishop Makarios III Hospital (NAMIII
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Anna Rekleiti
Archbishop Makarios III Hospital (NAMIII
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Alessandra Salvo
Ospedale Umberto I di Siracusa
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Voi Vincenzo
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga
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Giovanni Battista Ferrero
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga
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Giorgia Mandrile
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga
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Carmen Maria Gaglioti
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria San Luigi Gonzaga
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Elena Cela
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon
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Beatriz Ponce Salas
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon
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Eduardo Bardón-Cancho
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon
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Pagona Flevari
Laiko" General Hospital of Athens
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Ersi Voskaridou
Laiko" General Hospital of Athens
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Erfan NUR
Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC
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Bart J. Biemond
Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC
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Polyxeni Delaporta
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
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David Beneitez-Pastor
Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron
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Anna Collado Gimbert
Hospital Infantil i l'Hospital de la Dona de Vall d'Hebron
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Anna Spasiano
Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale Antonio Cardarelli Dipartimento Medico Polispecialistico
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Tatiana Besse-Hammer
CHU Brugmann
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Ioannis G. Lafiatis
Vostanio" General Hospital of Mytilene
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Laurence Dedeken
Hopital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola
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Simona Raso
Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia Cervello
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Anna Ruiz Llobet
Hospital Sant Joan de Deu
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Sabrina Bagnato
Ospedale Generale di Lentini
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Veerle Labarque
University Hospitals Leuven
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Andreas Glenthøj
Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet
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Giovan Battista Ruffo
Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale e di Alta Specializzazione Civico Di Cristina Benfratelli
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Maria Elena Guerzoni
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
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Kaoutar Hafraoui
Centre hospitalier universitaire de Liege
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Laura Pistoia
Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio per la Ricerca Medica e di Sanita Pubblica
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Rosamaria Rosso
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico G Rodolico San Marco
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Laura Tagliaferri
Hopp-Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg University of Heidelberg
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Paula Gonzalez-Urdiales
Hospital Universitario Cruces
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Fleur Samantha Benghiat
Hopital Erasme
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Mariane de Montalembert
Hopital Universitaire Necker-Enfants Malades
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Maria Jose Teles
Centro Hospitalar Universitario de Santo Antonio
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Anna Vanderfaeillie
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-Pierre
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Elisa Bertoni
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia Unita Operativa di Ematologia
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Daniela Cuzzubbo
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Meyer Pediatria medica
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Teresa Ferreira
Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca EPE
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Christopher J. Saunders
Hospital de Santo Antonio dos Capuchos
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Eftychia Stiakaki
University Hospital of Heraklion
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Ann L. Van de Velde
Antwerp University Hospital University of Antwerp
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Michael D. Diamantidis
General Hospital of Larissa
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Jean-Louis KERKHOFFS
HagaZiekenhuis
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Marisa I. Oliveira
Hospital Dona Estefania
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Alessandra Quota
Ospedale Vittorio Emanuele di Gela
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Roberta Russo
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche
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An Van Damme
Saint Luc University Hospital
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María Argüello Marina
Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias
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Mikael Lorite Reggiori
Hospital Universitario Son Espases
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Anita W. Rijneveld
Erasmus MC
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Alexis Rodríguez Gallego
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca
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Raffaella Colombatti
Azienda Ospedale Universita Padova
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Achille Iolascon
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche
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Ali Taher
American University of Beirut Medical Center
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Béatrice Gulbis
Universite Libre de Bruxelles - Campus Erasme
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Noémi B.A. Roy
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Mañú Pereira Maria Manu
Hospital Infantil i l'Hospital de la Dona de Vall d'Hebron
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Abstract

Background Despite several publications covering patients from multiple centers, no international registry covered all patients with red blood cell diseases (RBCD) affected by COVID-19. The ERN-EuroBloodNet’s registry provided real-time registration of SARS-CoV-2 patients with RBCD, promoting timely disease-specific knowledge sharing during the pandemic’s early stages. Procedures The study evaluated patient distribution, the infection across different RBBDs, and severity risk factors across similar healthcare systems, using data collected from the ERN-EuroBloodNet’s REDCap platform. Results From April 2020 to April 2023, 681 infections were recorded among 663 patients, of which 373 had transfusion-dependent thalassemia or non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT/NTDT), and 269 had sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD patients had a higher incidence of COVID-19 than those with TDT/NTDT (10.5 vs. 4.8 COVID/100 patients). Notably, 92% of the cases were mild, with neither age nor the specific RBCD affecting severity. The number of comorbidities, notably obesity and hypertension, that patients had prior to infection was associated with more severe COVID-19. During the infection, the presence of vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome, kidney failure, and ground-glass opacities on chest tomography scans were associated with a more severe clinical picture. The vaccination rate (32%) mirrored that of the general population and showed a protective effect against severe COVID-19. The observed mortality rate was 0.7%, aligning with Europe’s general population. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection in SCD and TDT/NTDT patients is mild and without higher mortality than the general population. The ERN-Eurobloodnet’s registry collaborative structure exemplifies the power of international cooperation in tackling rare diseases, especially during health emergencies