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  • Patients with CLL have a lo...
    Niemann, Carsten U.; da Cunha-Bang, Caspar; Helleberg, Marie; Ostrowski, Sisse R.; Brieghel, Christian

    Blood, 08/2022, Volume: 140, Issue: 5
    Journal Article

    Previous studies have shown that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have high mortality rates. Infection with the Omicron variant has been described as a milder disease course in the general population. However, the outcome for immunocompromised patients has not previously been reported. In a cohort of patients with CLL tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at hospital test sites in the time periods before and after dominance of the Omicron variant, rates of hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions declined significantly, whereas 30-day mortality remained as high as 23% in the period with dominance of the Omicron sublineage BA.2 variant. However, for a larger population-based cohort of patients with CLL (including the hospital cohort), 30-day mortality was 2%. Thus, patients with CLL with close hospital contacts and, in particular, those >70 years of age with 1 or more comorbidities should be considered for closer monitoring and preemptive antiviral therapy upon a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. •In the era of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, lower fatality rates in CLL are seen along with milder disease in the background population.•Patients with CLL who have hospital contact and test positive for SARS-CoV-2 should still be considered for preemptive therapy. Display omitted