COVID-19 in patients with congenital bleeding disorders in Russia

Background. Internationally published data about the course of COVID-19 in patients with congenital bleeding disorders (CBDs) are limited. There are questions about how COVID-19 affects the course of CBDs and, conversely, how CBDs affect the course of coronavirus infection.

Aim — to analyze the course of COVID-19 in patients with CBDs in Russia.

Materials and methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the National Medical Research Center for Hematology (Moscow) for the period from June 25 to July 31, 2022. A cluster of 187 patients from different regions and cities of Russia were interviewed with a questionnaire based on survey administration software (Google forms) containing 27 questions.

Results. COVID-19 affected 115 (62 %) of 187 surveyed patients and 22 (19 %) patients suffered from coronavirus infection twice. Hospitalization was required for 14 (12 %) patients with an average age of 42 years (10 patients with severe hemophilia A, 1 patient with moderate hemophilia B, 2 patients with von Willebrand disease and 1 patient with hypoproconvertinemia). During COVID-19 bleeding was observed in 9 (8 %) patients and was represented by hemarthrosis, ecchymosis, hematomas, nosebleeds, menorrhagia, hemorrhoidal bleeding, hemorrhage in the eyeball. There were no cases of thrombosis among 115 COVID-19 patients. Among patients with CBDs who had COVID-19, compared with patients who had not COVID-19, von Willebrand disease was statistically significantly more common (p = 0.04). Changes in the course of CBD after COVID-19 were noted by 21 (18 %) of 115 patients: 11 (10 %) of those who were ill noted increased joint pain, 9 (8 %) complained of joint pain that had not been previously experienced; 10 % of patients described changes of hemorrhagic syndrome.

Conclusion. The probability of hospitalization of patients with CBDs and COVID-19 older than 40 is statistically significantly higher. Von Willebrand disease can be considered as a potential risk factor for COVID-19. Given the absence of cases of thrombosis in the interviewed group of patients, the results of the study suggest that the presence of hypocoagulation in patients with CBDs may be a protective pathophysiological mechanism that prevents the development of COVID-19-associated thrombotic complications.

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