[Practical guidance for the management of patients with hematological disorders during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan]

Hagihara, Masao

During the nosocomial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, patients with hematological disorders showed poorer survival and aggressive course of respiratory failure than patients with other disorders. Two patients with immune thrombocytopenia who were being treated with prednisolone experienced severe respiratory failure related to COVID-19 and finally died. Patients who were yet to achieve remission and those receiving chemotherapy with steroids had a higher risk of death, and the mortality rate was higher in patients with lymphoid malignancies, including lymphoma and myeloma, than in those with myeloid malignancies. We describe the case of a myeloma patient in whom high-dose steroid administration was able to achieve considerable resolution of respiratory failure. In patients with unsuccessful seroconversion of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, recurrence or re-infection of COVID-19 should be closely monitored.