People with certain medical conditions. Thalassemia is a medical condition in which the body makes less hemoglobin than usual. Some of these release special . Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help people with beta thalassemia prevent severe disease and death. Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn't make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. 2023 Feb 14;9:1082611. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1082611. Experts say that, There are many different types of anemia. The use of corticosteroid medications (such as prednisone) can have both positive and negative effects and must be carefully weighed in people with thalassemia. Beta thalassemia major (Cooley's anemia). 2020 Oct;13(10):1081-1092. doi: 10.1080/17474086.2020.1819785. Guidelines for the Management of Transfusion Dependent Thalassaemia, 3rd ed. Read our, Risk of Severe Outcomes From COVID-19 for People With Thalassemia, Complications of Thalassemia and COVID-19, People Who Have Had a Splenectomy and Transplant Recipients. Most children with moderate to severe thalassemia show signs and symptoms within their first two years of life. Immunity is a complex process that involves a lot of moving parts. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, especially those with chronic illnesses. April 20, 2020. We avoid using tertiary references. But if you only have the trait, you may have a slightly increased risk of high blood pressure or anemia during pregnancy, according to 2022 research. (Note: The overall mortality rate for COVID-19 is currently less than 1%.). Working with your healthcare team to keep up with thalassemia treatments, getting vaccinated, and monitoring and treating for complications early if COVID-19 symptoms do develop are the recommended strategies to staying healthy through the pandemic. It could be that antigens for people with type O blood block the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2, and keeps it from entering into your cells, said Dr. Russo. Its also the only way to tell if youre a silent carrier. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Blood types can also serve as receptors for viruses and bacteria, and that could be another factor, explained Dr. Russo, there may be some other, completely different component of type O blood that works to prevent infection. 2019;133(12):1279-1289.doi:10.1182/blood-2018-10-879247, Yasara N, Premawardhena A, Mettananda S. A comprehensive review of hydroxyurea for -haemoglobinopathies: the role revisited during COVID-19 pandemic. Biochemistry, hemoglobin synthesis. A comprehensive review of studies published in Seminars in Vascular Surgery in September 2021 examined peer-reviewed journal articles published from March 2020 to January 2021. 2020;91(3):e2020007. 2020;6(9):FSO628. Beta-Thalassemia Minor and SARS-CoV-2: Physiopathology, Prevalence, Severity, Morbidity, and Mortality. Risk of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by transfusion: A literature review. The prevalence among those who were transfusion dependent was roughly the same as people without thalassemia. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.6114. The immune systems of more than 95% of people who recovered from COVID-19 had durable memories of the virus up to eight months after infection. Most states offer religious exemptions from school vaccine requirements, and some provide exemptions on philosophical grounds. Learn more. While it's always helpful to know your blood type, most people won't necessarily need to know that information. Certain medications have been approved to reduce the frequency of transfusions needed. Am J Hematol. The forgotten people with thalassemia in the time of COVID-19: South Asian perspective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everybody over 6 months of age in the United States. Let's look at why and how to get support to stop drinking: While not as serious as other causes of chest pain, anemia-related chest pain can be a sign that your current treatment plan isn't working. Gholinataj Jelodar M, Mirzaei S, Dehghan Chenari H. Clin Case Rep. 2022 Aug 3;10(8):e6114. Scientists use + to indicate a gene mutation that lowers production and 0 to indicate a mutation that causes the gene to be absent. Bender MA, et al. For people living with thalassemia, because too much iron may build up in the blood, foods high in iron may need to be limited. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Strategies to enhance information sharing, Strategies to enhance information sharing between healthcare professionals and patients and their families, Patient pathways during the pandemic: general pathway (left panel) and transfusiondependent patient pathway, A proposed algorithm for the diagnosis of COVID19 in patients with haemoglobinopathies [Colour, MeSH This means you have lower levels of hemoglobin, which could result in mild anemia. "As an individual, you have your blood typethere's nothing you can do about it.". You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Daidone R, Carollo A, Perricone MP, Messina R, Balistreri CR. Most people with beta thalassemia major have symptoms within the first 2 years of life. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects your body's ability to produce hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. Its considered safer to wait to begin gene therapy or prepare for a stem-cell transplant for thalassemia in communities currently affected by COVID-19. World Health Organization (WHO) . In general, people with severe diseases are at a higher risk from COVID-19. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal People with the most severe form of the disease may require regular blood transfusions. In a preprint review of studies from late July 2022, researchers examined how beta thalassemia minor affects outcomes of COVID-19. It was through these findings, that the Danish researchers suggested: "That blood group O is significantly associated with reduced susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.". Getting COVID-19 offers some natural protection or immunity from reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19.It's estimated that getting COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination both result in a low risk of another infection with a similar variant for at least six months.. (2022). Knowledge of your blood type is usually important if you're undergoing a blood transfusion or organ transplantbut in those situations, your medical team will test your blood type beforehand. Yet, no matter how difficult the trial, there are often positive points. But, overall, the link between blood type, genes, and infection risk is a growing area of research. The .gov means its official. If your MCV is too low, they may order further blood tests to check for thalassemia trait. A comprehensive update of ICET-A Network on COVID-19 in thalassemias: what we know and where we stand. There are four types of alpha thalassemia, and two main types of beta thalassemia. The study from Iran found that having a diagnosis of thalassemia was associated with poorer outcomes, particularly for people who have complications of thalassemia. Lets look at why and what you can do about it. Its severity varies greatly between people. The first study, conducted by Danish researchers, analyzed data from more than 473,000 people tested for COVID-19 with data from a control group of more than 2.2m non-tested people. Summary document for interim clinical considerations for use of COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized or approved in the United States. In particular, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium. But some silent carriers of alpha-thalassemia may need a DNA test to know for sure. If you have thalassemia trait, it means you carry a genetic mutation that causes thalassemia, but you dont have the disease yourself. 2023 Mar 2;24(5):4809. doi: 10.3390/ijms24054809. If the inherited mutation affects only one gene, you have beta-thalassemia minor. The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19. (2022). Early in the pandemic, two studies published in the Blood Advances journal in October 2020 showed a possible link between blood type and vulnerability to COVID-19. Should people with thalassemia receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Thalassaemia International Federation . "We still do not understand all the factors at play," said Anupama Nehra, MD, an assistant professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and clinical director of hematology-oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute at University Hospital. Genetic correction of concurrent - and -thalassemia patient-derived pluripotent stem cells by the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. In Italy there are about 5000 patients with dependent transfusion thalassemia (source Italian Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathies - SITE) and a smaller number, currently not definable, of patients with sickle cell anemia in chronic transfusion. Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell, isolated from a . Newborn screening practices for beta-thalassemia in the United States. Although epidemiologic evidence concerning the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in these patients is currently lacking, the COVID-19 pandemic represents a significant challenge for haemoglobinopathy patients, their families and their attending physicians. In a webinar designed to guide physicians in the care of hematology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, three world experts on thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) provided on-the-ground information from physicians who were . In that event, it's advisable that the therapy be stopped until the infection has cleared. If you have potential symptoms of beta thalassemia, a doctor may order a blood test to look for signs of the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to blood bank shortages, which have created challenges for people with transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Anemia can affect your weight, whether due to its impact on your appetite and activity levels or its underlying cause. The third group includes people with Thalassemia minor, who have mild anaemia only. Brancaleoni V, et al. Unlike its alpha counterpart, only one gene (HBB) is responsible for making hemoglobin beta. "Long COVID" is a term meaning symptoms that persist after the infection has cleared. Last medically reviewed on April 6, 2023. Bookshelf The study found that patients with blood types A and AB were found to be more likely to require mechanical ventilation and to require dialysis for kidney failure. Splenectomy: When a person has a spleen removed for thalassemia, they are more likely to develop a secondary bacterial infection . If both parents carry a trait for either alpha- or beta-thalassemia, their child could develop a severe form of the disease. If the synthesis from both genes is severely reduced or absent, the person has . Adrenal insufficiency (a lack of sufficient hormone production by the adrenal glands) can occur with thalassemia. Looking at a small sample group early on in the pandemic, the overall mortality rate of those with thalassemia from a COVID-19 infection was 18.6%, compared with a mortality rate of 4.71% in the general population. Some studies estimate the worldwide prevalence of alpha-thalassemia trait to be as high as 5%. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Blood tests can also be used for . It's recommended that antibiotics be started immediately if people develop a fever or other signs of an infection. There are a number of factors that might increase the chances of a person with thalassemia being exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. What Research Says About the Link Between COVID-19 and Blood Type, What the Blood Link Research Means for You, Omicron vs. Delta: How the 2 COVID-19 Variants Compare, ShinglesHerpes ZosterInfection May Be Linked to the COVID-19 Vaccine, Can COVID-19 Cause Diabetes? However, certain issues, such as pneumonia and respiratory failure, blood clots, and heart-related complications, should be monitored for. may help support the immune system's ability to fight infections. fatalities for sickle cell anaemia carriers and for -thalassaemia carriers. Moreover, the excess amount of iron, contributing to oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of the disease, alters the immune system in -thalassemia, which is important during the COVID-19 pandemic.