COVID-19 infection in children with cancer in Armenia: report for the whole pandemic period

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.