RESUMO
Objective. The effects of SARS-CoV2 infection on paediatric oncology patients were not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 infections on these patients at CMJAH. Methods. Patients under 18 years and their caregivers were tested. Nasopharyngeal COVID-19 PCR tests were performed on all patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, and those admitted for procedures, chemotherapy and treatment of any intercurrent illness. Results of all COVID-19 swab tests with corresponding full blood count results were prospectively collected. Simple descriptive statistics were used to describe the study population. Results. From 1 May 2020 to 30 September 2021, 646 COVID-19 tests were performed on 432 patients. Thirteen tests (3% of patients) were positive. Six (0.9%) of the lodger caregivers also had positive swabs, suggesting positive contacts. Five of the positive patients were admitted for chemotherapy, and three were admitted for febrile neutropenia. No other patients were neutropenic. One neutropenic patient had COVID pneumonia, requiring facemask oxygen therapy and was managed safely in the in-patient ward. The most common symptoms included fever and mucositis (23%) followed by fever and cough (15%), while 54% were asymptomatic for COVID disease. All positive patients recovered fully and did not have any features of 'long COVID'. Conclusion. The low numbers of positive oncology patients for COVID-19 may be explained by effective isolation techniques owing to pre-existing immunosuppression and effective health education. The clinical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric oncology patients at CMJAH has been minimal.
RESUMO
Towards the end of 2019, a new coronavirus (CoV) was described emerging from Wuhan, China. Given its phylogenetic similarity to SARS-CoV, the new coronavirus was named severe-acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 and the disease it caused was named coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). There are few reports of paediatric renal transplant recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and, although guidelines for the management of solid-organ transplant recipients exposed to SAR-CoV-2 have been published, there are few paediatric-specific guidelines. We present a case of an unusual presentation of COVID-19 in an adolescent transplant recipient who presented with transient facial angioedema and a non-specific skin rash. She developed acute kidney injury, which resolved without any intervention. We suggest that, in future, an international registry of paediatric transplant recipients infected with COVID-19 be established to delineate more clearly the presenting features, clinical course and challenges encountered in treating these patients. © 2021, Allergy Society of South Africa. All rights reserved.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: The state of limited resource settings that Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created globally should be taken seriously into account especially in healthcare sector. In oncofertility, patients should receive their fertility preservation treatments urgently even in limited resource settings before initiation of anticancer therapy. Therefore, it is very crucial to learn more about oncofertility practice in limited resource settings such as in developing countries that suffer often from shortage of healthcare services provided to young patients with cancer. METHODS: As an extrapolation during the global crisis of COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed oncofertility centers from 14 developing countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and India). Survey questionnaire included questions on the availability and degree of utilization of fertility preservation options in case of childhood cancer, breast cancer, and blood cancer. RESULTS: All surveyed centers responded to all questions. Responses and their calculated oncofertility scores showed different domestic standards for oncofertility practice in case of childhood cancer, breast cancer, and blood cancer in the developing countries under limited resource settings. CONCLUSIONS: Medical practice in limited resource settings has become a critical topic especially after the global crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the resources necessary to provide oncofertility treatments is important until the current COVID-19 pandemic resolves. Lessons learned will be valuable to future potential worldwide disruptions due to infectious diseases or other global crises.