Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country

Sana Khurram; Farrukh Ali Khan; Danish Shakeel; Waqas Ahmed Farooqui; Fawad Qureshi; Shaheen Kauser

2025, Vol: 50, Issue: 4

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RMJ. 2025; 50(4): 881-885

Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country

Sana Khurram, Farrukh Ali Khan, Danish Shakeel, Waqas Ahmed Farooqui, Fawad Qureshi, Shaheen Kauser.

Abstract
Objective: To examine the clinical and laboratory characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes of hematological malignancies (HM) patients with COVID-19 infection in a tertiary care hospital in a developing country.
Methodology: A total of 109 patients treated for HM at Dow University of Health Sciences were analyzed retrospectively for COVID-19 infection using PCR between February 2020 and April 2021. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 26. Statistical tests included the Mann-Whitney and chi-square or Fisher exact tests, with a significance level of p≤0.05.
Results: COVID-19 was detected in 28 (25.7%) out of 109 of HM patients. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) constituted 35.7 % of cases each. COVID-19 positive patients had higher rates of radiological abnormalities (42.9% vs. 2.5%), lower hemoglobin (median = 8.8g/dL vs. 9.9g/dL) and lower platelet counts (median = 55×10^9/L vs. 144×10^9/L). Fever was the most common symptom (21.4%), and 50% of positive patients were asymptomatic. The mortality rate was 21.4% (6/28).
Conclusion: There were notable hematological and radiological differences among HM patients who tested positive for COVID-19. The results emphasize the necessity of early therapies and improved surveillance in immunocompromised patients.

Key words: COVID-19 infection, hematological malignancies, clinical manifestations, outcome.

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How to Cite this Article

Pubmed Style

Khurram S, Khan FA, Shakeel D, Farooqui WA, Qureshi F, Kauser S. Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country. RMJ. 2025; 50(4): 881-885.

Web Style

Khurram S, Khan FA, Shakeel D, Farooqui WA, Qureshi F, Kauser S. Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country. https://www.rmj.org.pk/?mno=240353 [Access: October 30, 2025].

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Khurram S, Khan FA, Shakeel D, Farooqui WA, Qureshi F, Kauser S. Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country. RMJ. 2025; 50(4): 881-885.

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Harvard Style

Khurram, S., Khan, . F. A., Shakeel, . D., Farooqui, . W. A., Qureshi, . F. & Kauser, . S. (2025) Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country. RMJ, 50 (4), 881-885.

Turabian Style

Khurram, Sana, Farrukh Ali Khan, Danish Shakeel, Waqas Ahmed Farooqui, Fawad Qureshi, and Shaheen Kauser. 2025. Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country. Rawal Medical Journal, 50 (4), 881-885.

Chicago Style

Khurram, Sana, Farrukh Ali Khan, Danish Shakeel, Waqas Ahmed Farooqui, Fawad Qureshi, and Shaheen Kauser. "Unveiling the impact of Covid-19 on patients with hematological malignancies: A study from a developing country." Rawal Medical Journal 50 (2025), 881-885.

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