Are COVID-19 Outcomes Affected by Sickle Cell Disease?

Patients with sickle cell disease have excess risk for various viral and bacterial infections, but their risk for complications related to COVID-19 infection is unknown. British investigators examined a retrospective cohort of >12 million adults and children (30% younger than 18), including ≈5000 patients with sickle cell disease and ≈25,000 patients with sickle cell trait.

Among patients with sickle cell disease, risks for COVID-19–related hospitalizations and death (adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity) were significantly higher than among the general population (hazard ratios, 4.1 and 2.6, respectively). Sickle cell trait also was associated with smaller but still significant excess risks for COVID-19–related hospitalization and death (HR…