Outcome of early treatment of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in patients with haematological disorders

Abstract

SummaryOutcome of early treatment of COVID‐19 with antivirals or anti‐spike monoclonal antibodies (MABs) in patients with haematological malignancies (HM) is unknown. A retrospective study of HM patients treated for mild/moderate COVID‐19 between March 2021 and July 2022 was performed. The main composite end‐point was treatment failure (severe COVID‐19 or COVID‐19‐related death). We included 328 consecutive patients who received MABs (n = 120, 37%; sotrovimab, n = 73) or antivirals (n = 208, 63%; nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, n = 116) over a median of two days after symptoms started; 111 (33.8%) had non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); 89 (27%) were transplant/CAR‐T (chimaeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy) recipients. Most infections (n = 309, 94%) occurred during the Omicron period. Failure developed in 31 patients (9.5%). Its independent predictors were older age, fewer vaccine doses, and treatment with MABs. Rate of failure was lower in the Omicron versus the pre‐Omicron period (7.8% versus 36.8%, p < 0.001). During the Omicron period, predictors of failure were age, fewer vaccine doses and diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS). Independent predictors of longer viral shedding were age, comorbidities, hospital admission at diagnosis, NHL/CLL, treatment with MABs. COVID‐19‐associated mortality was 3.4% (n = 11). The mortality in those who developed severe COVID‐19 after early treatment was 26% in the Omicron period. Patients with HM had a significant risk of failure of early treatment, even during the Omicron period, with high mortality rate.