Table 3.
General characteristics in thalassemic and SCD patients with confirmed COVID-19.
| Clinical and laboratory variables Total number | Thalassemias (10) | Sickle cell anemia (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical phenotype: TM and/ TI | 8 /2 | 3 severe |
| Gender male (M) / female (F) | 3 /7 | 1/2 |
| Age in yrs mean SD ( range) | 35.7±11.7 (22–66) | 27.3 ±12.2 ( 13–43) |
| Blood group | 5: A+; 4: B+; 1: AB+ | 2: 0 +; 1: NR |
| Household or community exposure | 4/10 | 1/10 |
| Hospitalization in symptomatic patients | 5/7 | 2/3 |
| Isolation and follow-up at home | 4/10 | 1/3 |
| Splenectomy | 4/10 | 1/3 Functional hyposplenism |
| Last serum ferritin level mean+SD (ng/ml, range) | 1,653 ± 1,592 (Range: 225–5,960) | 2/3: 289 and 316 1/3:NA |
| Body mass index (Kg/m2) | 19.39 ± 3.5 | 1/3 (17.8) |
| LIC: MRI T2* (mg Fe/g d.w.) | Mild: 3/10; Moderate 2/10; Severe 3/10 | NA |
|
HCV Ab + HCV-RNA + |
3/10 = |
= 1/3 (treated) |
| Cardiac complications | 1/10 (Arrythmia) | 2/3: NR |
| Myocardial T2* (ms) | 6/10 >20 ms; 1/10: 16 ms | 3/3: NA |
| Chronic kidney disease before Covid-19 | 1/10 (Nephropathy and hypertension) |
1/3 |
| Respiratory disease before Covid-19 | 0/10 | 1/3 (Asthma) |
| Pulmonary hypertension | 0/10 | 0/3 |
| Endocrine complications | 3/10: IDDM; 1/10 HH; 1/10 HT | 0/3 |
| Iron chelation therapy and other treatments | DFO: 3/10; DFP: 1/10; DFX: 6/10; DFO-DFX: 1/10; HU: 4/10 | HU:3/3 |
Legend = TM: β-thalassemia major; TI: β-thalassemia intermedia; NA: Not available: LIC: liver iron concentration, was classified as mild (LIC > 3 and < 7), moderate (LIC > 7 and < 14) and severe (LIC > 14 mg/g/d.w.); HCV Ab: hepatitis C antibodies; Myocardial T2* value: normal >20 ms, mild to moderate iron overload:10 -20 ms and severe : <10 ms; DFO: desferrioxamine; DFP: deferiprone; DFX: deferasirox; HU: hydroxyurea; IDDM: Insulin Dependent Diabetes mellitus; HH: Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism; HT: primary hypothyroidism.