Rewriting the rules for care of MDS and AML patients in the time of COVID-19

Azra Raza; Amer Assal; Abdullah M Ali; Joseph G Jurcic

doi:10.1016/j.lrr.2020.100201

Rewriting the rules for care of MDS and AML patients in the time of COVID-19

Leuk Res Rep. 2020 Apr 20:13:100201. doi: 10.1016/j.lrr.2020.100201. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Azra Raza^{1

2

3}, Amer Assal^{1

2

3}, Abdullah M Ali^{1

2}, Joseph G Jurcic^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA.
² Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, USA.
³ New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Abstract

The care of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been radically altered by COVID-19, especially in New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic. Here we summarize how telemedicine, virtual visits, delayed transfusions, and chemotherapy, preferably selecting self-administered medications and visits by home healthcare workers, are employed to minimize exposure of our high-risk population of patients to the virus. The unique challenges of transplants during the pandemic and the consequences of an abrupt halt in all non-essential research activities are described. Not all the changes forced by COVID-19 are detrimental.

Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia; COVID-19; Myelodysplatic Syndromes; stem cell transplantation; telemedicine.