Like in alpha-thalassemia minor, your red blood cells will be smaller, and you may experience mild anemia. doi:10.2144/fsoa-2020-0110, Papadopoulos KI, Sutheesophon W, Manipalviratn S, Aw TC. "At the end of the day, we're still not sure if blood type makes a difference," said Dr. Russo. Most children with moderate to severe thalassemia show signs and symptoms within their first two years of life. It can cause life threatening heart conditions, such as stroke. Since those studies, a fair amount of research has been conducted on blood type and COVID-19 risk. What are the risks of having COVID if you have beta thalassemia? The CDC recommends mRNA vaccines for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Adrenal insufficiency (a lack of sufficient hormone production by the adrenal glands) can occur with thalassemia. (2022). Should people with thalassemia receive the COVID-19 vaccine? This condition can cause abrupt changes in blood pressure or heart rate that may worsen a person's condition during a COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus: People with thalassemia face "blood shortage", appeal for Methods: An official website of the United States government. COVID-19. 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 That means getting vaccinated and boosted, social distancing, wearing a mask in public, and washing your hands regularly, among other things. doi:10.1002/ajh.25840, Farmakis D, Giakoumis A, Cannon L, et al. (Source: File Photo) For almost a week now, Delhi resident Komal Mehta has been making frantic calls for O-negative blood for her 16-year-old son, a thalassemia major, who requires a blood transfusion every 21 days.While his blood transfusion of two units was to take place on March 13, Mehta has not been able to . Read on to learn more about why its important for people with beta thalassemia to get vaccinated and why beta thalassemia may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness. 2021;27:e929207. Severe thalassemia used to be fatal by early adulthood, but now people frequently live into their 60s or beyond. This shortage has been of even greater concern in South Asia (due to a high incidence of beta-thalassemia), where it's been estimated that 200,000 people depend on regular blood transfusions to manage their condition. 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. It's recommended that antibiotics be started immediately if people develop a fever or other signs of an infection. ; 2 Department of Internal Medicine, UOC Medicina Generale, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Eating nutritious foods is important for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle - a diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in fats is ideal for gaining the essential nutrients our bodies need. Abstract. Telehealth visits, which are appointments with a healthcare provider using electronic devices from your home, are considered the equivalent of an in-person visit in many ways and can provide excellent care in many situations. This complication should be monitored and treated as it is for people with other forms of preexisting heart disease. The present statement summarizes the key challenges concerning the management of haemoglobinopathies, with particular focus on patients with either transfusion-dependent or non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia, identifies the gaps in knowledge and suggests measures and strategies to deal with the pandemic, based on available evidence and expert opinions. If you're pregnant and heterozygous for beta-thalassemia, you may not need treatment, but there are still some things to consider for a healthy. With thalassemia trait, your red blood cells are smaller than those in people who dont have the trait. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Beta thalassemia minor or thalassemia trait. EHA and TIF explore how COVID-19 is affecting thalassemia and SCD The researchers found that people with beta thalassemia minor had: However, the researchers didnt find statistical significance for any of these parameters, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn from the study. If youre a silent carrier or have thalassemia minor, youre unlikely to need typical thalassemia treatments, like blood transfusions or iron therapy. -. In a 2021 pilot study, researchers found a strong association between the presence of beta thalassemia minor and COVID-19 mortality. Brancaleoni V, et al. Gholinataj Jelodar M, Mirzaei S, Dehghan Chenari H. Clin Case Rep. 2022 Aug 3;10(8):e6114. If your MCV is too low, they may order further blood tests to check for thalassemia trait. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with the intermedia or major forms of the disease have HBB mutations from both parents. If you have one unaffected gene, it mostly overrides the faulty gene. (2022). Key areas covered include patients' risk level, adaptation of haemoglobinopathy care, safety of blood transfusions, blood supply challenges, and lifestyle and nutritional considerations. Thalassemia - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic 2020;105(4):378-386.doi:10.1111/ejh.13476, Yadav U, Pal R. Challenging Times for Children With Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. It's important to note that complications of thalassemia likely played a role in the severity of outcomes. Beta Thalassemia | Johns Hopkins Medicine 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. Blood tests can also be used for . (2022). The vaccines cannot give you COVID-19. Thats because two genes, HBA1 and HBA2, are responsible for making hemoglobin alpha. Most cases are caused by a mutation in the HBB gene. Only one gene is damaged. But you can pass the gene on to future generations. eCollection 2023. 2020;91(3):e2020007. It's been found that, in general, people who have COVID-19 often have significantly reduced hemoglobin levels, especially with severe disease. Experts say that, There are many different types of anemia. Alpha and Beta Thalassemia | AAFP 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. 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. This blood disorder causes your body not to produce enough hemoglobin. Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that impairs the production of hemoglobin. But they do test for sickle cell anemia, which can also detect thalassemia. Eur J Haematol. Lack of hemoglobin can lead to insufficient oxygen in your bodily tissues. The researchers recommend that people with thalassemia major should be followed closely by a doctor. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Hemoglobin normally is made of four chainstwo alpha chains and two beta chains. If you have thalassemia trait, it means you carry a genetic mutation that causes thalassemia, but you dont have the disease yourself. People with thalassemia trait dont usually have symptoms. They also may have antiviral effects and positive effects on the immune system, particularly with RNA viruses (viruses that have RNA as its genetic material, such as the virus causing COVID-19). People with severe forms of beta thalassemia may be at a higher risk of developing severe illness than people in the general population if theyre infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The first study, conducted by . (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. But some researchers believe it may, based on the primarily mild symptoms of COVID-19 in people with thalassemia found in a study out of Southeast Asia. But its most common in the Mediterranean, where incidence can be as high as 15%. (2022). A second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least 4 weeks after 1st dose, less susceptibility to developing COVID-19, fewer intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, higher susceptibility to dying from COVID-19, surgery to remove your spleen or gallbladder. Biochemistry, hemoglobin synthesis. They result in low hemoglobin production and destruction of red blood cells. What We Know, 25% chance their child wont have thalassemia trait, 50% chance their child will have thalassemia trait, 25% chance their child will have a severe form of thalassemia. A comprehensive update of ICET-A Network on COVID-19 in thalassemias: what we know and where we stand. Iron overload: Frequent transfusions due to thalassemia can cause a build up of iron in the blood, which can, in turn, lead to heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, and other issues.These conditions are linked to poorer COVID-19 outcomes. Thalassemia Trait (Minor): How Does It Affect You? - Healthline EHA and TIF on How COVID-19 Affects Thalassemia and SCD Patients "As an individual, you have your blood typethere's nothing you can do about it.". There has also been a shortage at other steps in the process, such as personnel available to perform collections, as well as process and deliver donated blood. Some studies estimate the worldwide prevalence of alpha-thalassemia trait to be as high as 5%. Marion Cook. Research suggests that people with thalassemia may be at a slightly increased risk of contracting COVID-19, especially those who are transfusion dependent which puts them at an increased risk of exposure to the virus. The Link Between Blood Type and COVID-19 Risk - Health Quite a bit of research has been published about blood type and COVID-19 risk. Vaccination can help prevent COVID-19 infection and prevent severe illness if you do. Nicosia, Cyprus: Thalassaemia International Federation; 2017. Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive condition. doi:10.12659/MSMBR.929207, Drouin E. Beta-thalassemia may protect against COVID 19. Thalassemia is a blood disorder in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin. These drugs can reduce inflammation in blood vessels (endothelial inflammation) during viral infections. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.6114. People with certain medical conditions. Everybody except for 1 of the 16 people in the study required regular blood transfusions. (2021). Published 2020 Sep 7. doi:10.23750/abm.v91i3.10063. There are no specific precautions or warnings for people with thalassemia receiving these vaccines compared with people in the general population. The clues have been mounting . Front Med (Lausanne). -. (2022). A 2014 Chinese study found that 17.8% of people with beta-thalassemia trait also had genetic mutations that affected the alpha gene. For adults who are immunocompromised, the CDC recommends: People with thalassemia were excluded from COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, so its unclear if vaccines are as effective for people with thalassemia as the general population. Thalassemias | Johns Hopkins Medicine Patients with beta-thalassaemia increase the risk of bacterial infections, particularly Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of melioidosis in Thailand. However, more epidemiological studies are required in the aim to obtain a strong signal. 2021.doi:10.1016/j.htct.2021.04.003, Dalamaga M, Karampela I, Mantzoros CS. 2020;60(12):3046-3054.doi:10.1111/trf.16056, d'argon A, Putri MG, Savitri Y, Alfaidin AMR. (2020). There are very few medications that are contraindicated (should not be used) in people who may be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or who have developed a COVID-19 infection. If you become infected, it's important to talk to a doctor knowledgeable about thalassemia regarding any special precautions you should take or changes to your medical plan. Beta-thalassemia results of a default in the hemoglobin beta- chain synthesis. Keywords: IgA is active against several pathogens, including rotavirus, poliovirus, influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. 2020;7:306.doi:10.3389/fmed.2020.00306, Mungmunpuntipantip R, Wiwanitkit V. Hemoglobinopathy and COVID-19, Hematol Transfus Cell Ther. How do I know if I have thalassemia trait? Lansiaux E, et al. marion.cook@wanadoo.fr. As thalassemia is considered to be a severe underlying medical condition , both adults and children with thalassemia were excluded from the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. These findings may be due to statistical randomness because of the small sample size. Learn more about its symptoms and how it's diagnosed. The most important thing you can do is make sure you are vaccinated and stay up to date on when boosters are needed. Drouin E, et al. (2022). (2022). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, thalassemia can affect your ability to become pregnant and increase your risk of complications if you do. A recent pre-print study has showed a heme attack on the 1-beta chain of hemoglobin by COVID19. There are a number of reasons why people with thalassemia might be at risk for more severe outcomes with COVID-19.