thalassemia minor and covid immunity thalassemia minor and covid immunity

2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. There are very few medications that are contraindicated (should not be used) in people who may be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or who have developed a COVID-19 infection. There has also been a shortage at other steps in the process, such as personnel available to perform collections, as well as process and deliver donated blood. Thalassemia: Complications & treatment. Gholinataj Jelodar M, Mirzaei S, Dehghan Chenari H. Clin Case Rep. 2022 Aug 3;10(8):e6114. Differences in how people have reacted to COVID-19and whyhave occupied researchers throughout the pandemic. 2020;108:154260.doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154260, Leblanc JF, Germain M, Delage G, et al. Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that impairs the production of hemoglobin. In a webinar designed to guide physicians in the care of hematology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, three world experts on thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) provided on-the-ground information from physicians who were . Some blood donation programs were stopped (or decreased) worldwide, and hesitancy of blood donors to venture out and risk exposure to COVID-19 has also contributed to shortages. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. The present statement summarizes the key challenges concerning the management of haemoglobinopathies, with particular focus on patients with either transfusion-dependent or non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia, identifies the gaps in knowledge and suggests measures and strategies to deal with the pandemic, based on available evidence and expert opinions. Most cases are caused by a mutation in the HBB gene. However, more epidemiological studies are required in the aim to obtain a strong signal. Delaporta P, et al. This is the most important step in keeping you out of the hospital and alive. There are no extra safety precautions necessary for people with beta thalassemia who get vaccinated against COVID-19 when compared with people in the general population. Beta thalassemia may protect against COVID 19. Iron chelation therapy is also a vital treatment for people with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and should be continued until COVID-19 symptoms develop. The site is secure. It's also helpful to know your blood typespecifically the Rh factorduring pregnancy, so your doctor can troubleshoot if the unborn baby has a different Rh factor. While the research is early and there is much left to be learned, people who have thalassemia (at least some types) may be more susceptible to contracting coronavirus and having a serious outcome. A recent pre-print study has showed a heme attack on the 1-beta chain of hemoglobin by COVID19. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, thalassemia can affect your ability to become pregnant and increase your risk of complications if you do. Co-inheritance of -thalassaemia and -thalassaemia in a prenatal screening population in mainland China. Adrenal insufficiency (a lack of sufficient hormone production by the adrenal glands) can occur with thalassemia. If you only receive the gene from one parent, you carry the trait for thalassemia. Examples of coexisting conditions included insulin-dependent diabetes, heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, kidney disease, osteoporosis, hepatitis C, liver disease, and asthma. There are two types of alpha-thalassemia trait. eCollection 2023. Since thalassemia trait causes only mild symptoms, if any, it usually doesnt affect life expectancy. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.6114. This condition can cause abrupt changes in blood pressure or heart rate that may worsen a person's condition during a COVID-19 infection. For example, some of the common complications and coexisting conditions caused by thalassemia may also worsen COVID-19. There are three types of thalassemia, one is minor and the other two Alpha and Beta thalassemia are a major threat to health of a person. If you have a family history of thalassemia, you may want to know whether you carry the trait. Laboratory diagnosis of thalassemia. It's not known whether blood clots with COVID-19 are more common among people with thalassemia, but healthcare providers should be aware of this potential risk. Immunity is a complex process that involves a lot of moving parts. There are some theories on why there could be a link: Your red blood cells are covered with molecules that are known as antigens, Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo, told Health. People with certain medical conditions. "Long COVID" is a term meaning symptoms that persist after the infection has cleared. "At the end of the day, we're still not sure if blood type makes a difference," said Dr. Russo. People with severe forms of beta thalassemia may be at a higher risk of developing severe illness than people in the general population if theyre infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Yes. Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder in which a child has anemia. Unlike its alpha counterpart, only one gene (HBB) is responsible for making hemoglobin beta. Objectives: Many patients with haemoglobinopathies, including thalassaemia and sickle cell disease, are at increased risk of developing severe complications from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (2022). The .gov means its official. COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; haemoglobinopathies; pandemic; thalassaemia. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Within each of these types, the severity varies, from causing moderate to severe anemia to requiring frequent blood transfusions. You can still pass on the affected gene, but you wont experience any symptoms. Dr. DelCollo is board-certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine. Iron . Bender MA, et al. Mark S. Lesney. Orphanet J Rare Dis. Thalassaemia International Federation . Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell, isolated from a . This may cause you to experience mild anemia. ; 2 Department of Internal Medicine, UOC Medicina Generale, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. These drugs can reduce inflammation in blood vessels (endothelial inflammation) during viral infections. In that event, it's advisable that the therapy be stopped until the infection has cleared. However, certain issues, such as pneumonia and respiratory failure, blood clots, and heart-related complications, should be monitored for. 2022 Oct;58(10):1760-1765. doi: 10.1111/jpc.16082. 2023 Mar 2;24(5):4809. doi: 10.3390/ijms24054809. A few options include: Current recommendations are that for people who have been treated with Reblozyl, the medication should be continued even if a person develops COVID-19 (there is no evidence that it should be stopped). (2022). Vaccination can help prevent COVID-19 infection and prevent severe illness if you do. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal In a 2021 pilot study, researchers found a strong association between the presence of beta thalassemia minor and COVID-19 mortality. Published 2020 Sep 7. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i3.10063. (2020). 2020;95(8):E208-E210. Beta thalassemia major often needs to be treated with regular blood transfusions. and transmitted securely. Daidone R, Carollo A, Perricone MP, Messina R, Balistreri CR. Munkongdee T, et al. At this point in time, there does not appear to be any relationship between blood type and COVID-19related severity of illness or mortality.". COVID-19 in benign hematology: emerging challenges and special considerations for healthcare professionals. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people with beta-thalassemia or beta-thalassemia trait. What Are the Symptoms of Antiphospholipid Syndrome? Six had their spleens removed. Marion Cook. -. At this time, scientists are just beginning to learn how a diagnosis of thalassemia may affect the risk of COVID-19, potential complications, and how the pandemic may affect treatment, but preliminary research has revealed some trends. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is associated with a reduction in hemoglobin in red blood cells (RBCs) and, subsequently, insufficient oxygen reaching cells in . People with beta thalassemia may be at a higher risk of developing severe disease or death, but studies are conflicting at this time. Key areas covered include patients' risk level, adaptation of haemoglobinopathy care, safety of blood transfusions, blood supply challenges, and lifestyle and nutritional considerations. (2022). You likely wont have any symptoms. Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia, 3rd ed. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. IgA is active against several pathogens, including rotavirus, poliovirus, influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2. People with beta thalassemia minor might never know they have the disease. Alpha-thalassemia occurs when your body has trouble producing hemoglobin alpha. In thalassemia, the body is unable to make either alpha or beta chains in adequate amounts. Lansiaux E, et al. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Lynne Eldrige, MD, is a lung cancer physician, patient advocate, and award-winning author of "Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time. doi:10.1002/ajh.25857, NGO A, Masel D, Cahill C, Blumberg N, Refaiie MA. According to research from 2020 and 2021, 93% of U.S. newborn screening programs provide some info on alpha-thalassemia and 85% provide info on beta-thalassemia. Chowdhury SF, Anwar S. Management of hemoglobin disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beta-thalassemia results of a default in the hemoglobin beta- chain synthesis. Acta Biomed. How Might Swollen Glands Be a Sign of COVID-19? COVID-19 pandemic and care of transfusion-dependent patients of thalassaemia: Experience from a paediatric centre in North India. Thalassemia may increase the risk of serious outcomes of COVID-19. All rights reserved. Med Hypotheses. 5, 25, 26, 27 However, no details were provided as to the outcomes and course of the pregnancy in this . It's currently recommended that people with thalassemia who have severe COVID-19 be given blood thinners, though this could change as more is learned. These diseases usually occur only in people who have at least two abnormal . Consider talking with a doctor about testing for thalassemia trait if theres a history of thalassemia or thalassemia trait in your family, or if you plan to have a child with someone who has the trait or a family history of it. Some research suggests that people with beta thalassemia may be at an elevated risk of developing severe illness or death from COVID-19, but research is still mixed. Doctors sometimes incorrectly prescribe iron supplements for people with thalassemia trait if they mistake their symptoms for iron deficiency. 2023 Healthline Media LLC. When looking into thalassemia and COVID-19 risk, it's important to identify both the risk of potential exposure and susceptibility. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Since those studies, a fair amount of research has been conducted on blood type and COVID-19 risk. If youre a silent carrier or have thalassemia minor, youre unlikely to need typical thalassemia treatments, like blood transfusions or iron therapy. Hemoglobin normally is made of four chainstwo alpha chains and two beta chains. The one gene defect, beta thalassemia trait (minor), is asymptomatic and results in microcytosis and mild anemia. Those two factors make up the eight most common blood types: A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, and AB-. On the other, people with thalassemia may be at risk of adrenal insufficiency (adrenal crisis), which can worsen a person's condition with severe COVID-19. There are many types of thalassemia. What Research Says About the Link Between COVID-19 and Blood Type, What the Blood Link Research Means for You, Omicron vs. Delta: How the 2 COVID-19 Variants Compare, ShinglesHerpes ZosterInfection May Be Linked to the COVID-19 Vaccine, Can COVID-19 Cause Diabetes? 2020;105(4):378-386.doi:10.1111/ejh.13476, Yadav U, Pal R. Challenging Times for Children With Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Most states offer religious exemptions from school vaccine requirements, and some provide exemptions on philosophical grounds. chenevex, France. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i3.10063, Taher AT, Bou-Fakhredin R, Kreidieh F, et al. Who's at Risk for Long COVID? SARS-CoV-2 infection in beta thalassemia: Preliminary data from the Italian experience. Anecdotal reports are surfacing that some people are developing tinnitus days after receiving one of the COVID vaccines. Still, the study authors wrote, "the impact of blood type on clinical outcomes remains unclear. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. COVID Increases Risk of Long-Term Brain Injury, Study Shows, COVID Tongue: How a Swollen Tongue Could Indicate COVID-19, Even Mild COVID-19 Infections Increase Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Research Shows, CDC Adds Mental Health Conditions to High-risk of Severe Illness From COVID List, COVID-19 Pneumoniathe Lung Infection Caused by Getting COVID-19, Does Sunlight Kill COVID-19 and Does Vitamin D Prevent It? Disclaimer. Pregnancy outcomes among women affected with thalassemia traits. Read on to learn more about why its important for people with beta thalassemia to get vaccinated and why beta thalassemia may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness. Beta-thalassemia occurs when your body has trouble producing hemoglobin beta. eCollection 2022. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error, Strategies to enhance information sharing between healthcare professionals and patients and their families by developing communication channel and tools (A), setting up a protocol for answering patient queries (B) and maintaining a regular flow of quality information to patients (C) [Colour figure can be viewed at, Patient pathways during the pandemic: general pathway (left panel) and transfusiondependent patient pathway (right panel) [Colour figure can be viewed at, A proposed algorithm for the diagnosis of COVID19 in patients with haemoglobinopathies [Colour figure can be viewed at. Eating nutritious foods is important for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle - a diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in fats is ideal for gaining the essential nutrients our bodies need. Materials & Methods: Searches of PUBMED and EMBASE were conducted to identify the level and . People with beta thalassemia may be immunosuppressed if they have impairment of spleen function or had their spleen removed. Additionally, COVID-19 has complicated some treatments for thalassemia, such as the availability of lifesaving blood transfusions. 2020;6(9):FSO628. Li L, et al. Theres no cure for Nijmegen breakage syndrome, but its complications can be treated. Treatment can consist of blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy. What are the symptoms of beta thalassemia? "People with type O blood may be more susceptible to norovirus," said infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Amidst coronavirus outbreak, thalassemics are facing blood shortage concerns. This means you have lower levels of hemoglobin, which could result in mild anemia. WHO COVID19 Dashboard. Should people with thalassemia receive the COVID-19 vaccine? In fact, some medications used for thalassemia may actually be helpful. 2020;7:306.doi:10.3389/fmed.2020.00306, Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Hemoglobinopathy and COVID-19, Hematol Transfus Cell Ther. Treatment is with corticosteroids. Blood banking and transfusion medicine challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted If you have concerns, speak with a doctor or healthcare professional about your individual risks. Still, you can pass on the disease to your child. 1,5% global population . So, its important to know your status. They agree that unless you have a very serious allergy to any of the vaccine ingredients, you should strongly consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine because some people with thalassemia have a higher chance of experiencing severe symptoms from COVID-19. In order to better describe the frequency and manifestations of COVID-19 in thalassemia patients living in France, we report the cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection that occurred during the year 2020. If the mutation affects three of your genes, you have a more severe case of alpha-thalassemia. Noun P, Ibrahim A, Hodroj MH, Bou-Fakhredin R, Taher AT. It causes mild to severe respiratory illness with some flu-like symptoms. Thalassemia may cause you to experience anemia-like symptoms that range from mild to severe. These antigens help prompt a response from your body's immune system. But you can pass the gene on to future generations. Does Anemia Cause Weight Loss or Weight Gain? This can make them very anaemic (tired, short of breath and pale). Autoimmune diseases like Sjgrens syndrome can be difficult to diagnose. 2021 Mar 1;16(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s13023-021-01757-w. Parakh N, Pahuja S, Singh V, Kumar N, Chandra J. J Paediatr Child Health. Impaired immune cell . However, some limited evidence suggests that certain types of thalassemia may have some protective effect against COVID-19. Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn't make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. eCollection 2022 Aug. See this image and copyright information in PMC. Most hemoglobin is made up of alpha and beta chains. A comprehensive review of hydroxyurea for -haemoglobinopathies: the role revisited during COVID-19 pandemic.