The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (formerly known as 2019-nCoV), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is now raging worldwide.
In a new study, Dr. Jing Yu and colleagues from Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, China, and colleagues found that cancer patients in Wuhan have an increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2.
The relevant research results were published online in the journal JAMA Oncology on March 25, 2020. The title of the paper is "SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Patients With Cancer at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Wuhan, China".
These researchers reviewed the medical records of 1,524 cancer patients admitted to Wuhan University Zhongnan Hospital from December 30, 2019 to February 17, 2020 and evaluated how these patients developed COVID-19.
These researchers estimated that the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in cancer patients was 0.79%, which was higher than the cumulative incidence of all COVID-19 cases in Wuhan during the same period (0.37%; odds ratio was 2.31).
Of the 12 infected patients, the median age was 66 years, and 8 of them were older than 60 years. Seven patients have non-small cell lung cancer.
Only 5 patients received chemotherapy, chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, or radiotherapy. Three patients developed severe acute respiratory syndrome, and one of them needed intensive care.
As of March 10, 2020, six patients have been discharged and three deaths have been recorded.
The researchers wrote, "We recommend proactive measures to reduce the frequency of hospital visits by cancer patients during the viral epidemic.
For patients in need of treatment, an appropriate isolation program must be adopted to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. "
References:
1.Jing Yu et al. SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Patients With Cancer at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Wuhan, China. JAMA Oncology, 2020, doi: 10.1001 / jamaoncol.2020.0980.
2.Increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 seen in cancer patients in Wuhan
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-sars-cov-cancer-patients-wuhan.html
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