COVID-19 and seasonal influenza: a comparative analysis in patients with hematological malignancies

Abstract

The severity and mortality of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza were recently compared in the general population but not in patients with hematological malignancies. We analyzed the clinical courses of 79 patients with hematological malignancies and diagnosis of either SARS-CoV-2 (n = 29) or influenza A or B infections (n = 50) who were admitted or were already under treatment in the Department of Oncology, Hematology and Stem cell Transplantation at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, between 1 January 2012 and 31 January 2021. For COVID-19, we observed significantly higher rates of acute respiratory distress syndrome with 48% (14/29) compared to 14% (7/50) in the influenza group (p = 0.001) as well as a significantly higher virus-associated 90-day mortality (41% vs. 12%, p = 0.005). Based on our results, we conclude that infections with SARS-CoV-2 are more severe than influenza A or B in patients with hematological malignancies.

Keywords:

• SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
• seasonal influenza
• hematological malignancy
• acute respiratory distress syndrome

Disclosure statement

F.M. received support for meeting attendance from Servier, Incyte, Gilead, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Teva, Pfizer, Amgen, received a research grant from Daiichi Sankyo and received a speaker honorarium from Servier and Abbvie. C.N. has nothing to declare. K.W. received speaker honoraria from Amgen, Adaptive, BMS, Celgene, Janssen, GSK, Karyopharm, Takeda, Sanofi; has participated in advisory boards/has a consulting role for Amgen, Adaptive, BMS, Celgene, Janssen, GSK, Karyopharm, Takeda, Sanofi and received research funding from Amgen, Celgene, Sanofi, Janssen. C.B. received speaker honoraria from Merck KGaA, Sanofi, Roche, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp Dohme; has consulting or advisory role for Lilly/ImClone, Merck Serono, Sanofi, Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme, GSO, AOK Health Insurance; received research funding from Abbvie, ADC Therapeutics, Agile Therapeutics, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Apellis, Pharmaceuticals, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BerGenBio, Blueprint, Medicines, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Gilead Sciences, Gylcotope GmBH, GlaxoSmithKline, Incyte, IO Biotech, Isofol Medical, Janssen-Cilag, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Lilly, Millenium, MSD, Nektar, Novartis, Rafael Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Springworks Therapeutics, Taiho Pharmaceutical and received travel accommodations and expenses from Merck Serono, Sanofi, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. W.F. has participated in advisory boards for Amgen, Pfizer, Novartis, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Celgene, and Ariad/Incyte; received research funding from Amgen; received support for meeting attendance from Amgen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi Sankyo Oncology and Servier and has received support in medical writing from Amgen, Pfizer and AbbVie. S.G. has nothing to declare.