Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 8, 2024 21:45:00 GMT
Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Patients With Cancer During Different Waves of the Pandemic in the US - Published Aug 31, 2024
Key Points
Question
Did COVID-19 mortality differ between patients with cancer and the general US population depending on which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant?
Findings
Among 34 350 patients with cancer who died during the COVID-19 pandemic during periods in which wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variants were predominant between March 2020 and May 2022, the number of deaths was higher during the winter Omicron surge compared with the preceding year’s winter surge of the wild-type variant. In contrast, there were 29% fewer COVID-19 deaths in the general population during the winter Omicron surge compared with the preceding year’s winter surge.
Meaning
Findings of this study suggest that patients with cancer experienced a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality during the winter Omicron wave; strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission should remain a high priority as new variants arise.
Abstract
Importance
With the ongoing relaxation of guidelines to prevent COVID-19 transmission, particularly in hospital settings, medically vulnerable groups, such as patients with cancer, may experience a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality compared with the general population.
Objective
To evaluate COVID-19 mortality among US patients with cancer compared with the general US population during different waves of the pandemic.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This cross-sectional study used data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database to examine COVID-19 mortality among US patients with cancer and the general population from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 during the 2021 to 2022 winter Omicron surge was compared with deaths during the preceding year’s COVID-19 winter surge (when the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 variant was predominant) using mortality ratios. Data were analyzed from July 21 through August 31, 2022.
Exposures
Pandemic wave during which the wild-type variant (December 2020 to February 2021), Delta variant (July 2021 to November 2021), or Omicron variant (December 2021 to February 2022) was predominant.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Number of COVID-19 deaths per month.
Results
The sample included 34 350 patients with cancer (14 498 females [42.2%] and 19 852 males [57.8%]) and 628 156 members of the general public (276 878 females [44.1%] and 351 278 males [55.9%]) who died from COVID-19 when the wild-type (December 2020-February 2021), Delta (July 2021-November 2021), and winter Omicron (December 2021-February 2022) variants were predominant. Among patients with cancer, the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths per month occurred during the winter Omicron period (n = 5958): at the peak of the winter Omicron period, there were 18% more deaths compared with the peak of the wild-type period. In contrast, among the general public, the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths per month occurred during the wild-type period (n = 105 327), and at the peak of the winter Omicron period, there were 21% fewer COVID-19 deaths compared with the peak of the wild-type period. In subgroup analyses by cancer site, COVID-19 mortality increased the most, by 38%, among patients with lymphoma during the winter Omicron period vs the wild-type period.
Conclusions and Relevance
Findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that patients with cancer had a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality during the winter Omicron wave compared with the general US population. With the emergence of new, immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants, many of which are anticipated to be resistant to monoclonal antibody treatments, strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission should remain a high priority.
Key Points
Question
Did COVID-19 mortality differ between patients with cancer and the general US population depending on which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant?
Findings
Among 34 350 patients with cancer who died during the COVID-19 pandemic during periods in which wild-type, Delta, and Omicron variants were predominant between March 2020 and May 2022, the number of deaths was higher during the winter Omicron surge compared with the preceding year’s winter surge of the wild-type variant. In contrast, there were 29% fewer COVID-19 deaths in the general population during the winter Omicron surge compared with the preceding year’s winter surge.
Meaning
Findings of this study suggest that patients with cancer experienced a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality during the winter Omicron wave; strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission should remain a high priority as new variants arise.
Abstract
Importance
With the ongoing relaxation of guidelines to prevent COVID-19 transmission, particularly in hospital settings, medically vulnerable groups, such as patients with cancer, may experience a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality compared with the general population.
Objective
To evaluate COVID-19 mortality among US patients with cancer compared with the general US population during different waves of the pandemic.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This cross-sectional study used data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database to examine COVID-19 mortality among US patients with cancer and the general population from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 during the 2021 to 2022 winter Omicron surge was compared with deaths during the preceding year’s COVID-19 winter surge (when the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 variant was predominant) using mortality ratios. Data were analyzed from July 21 through August 31, 2022.
Exposures
Pandemic wave during which the wild-type variant (December 2020 to February 2021), Delta variant (July 2021 to November 2021), or Omicron variant (December 2021 to February 2022) was predominant.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Number of COVID-19 deaths per month.
Results
The sample included 34 350 patients with cancer (14 498 females [42.2%] and 19 852 males [57.8%]) and 628 156 members of the general public (276 878 females [44.1%] and 351 278 males [55.9%]) who died from COVID-19 when the wild-type (December 2020-February 2021), Delta (July 2021-November 2021), and winter Omicron (December 2021-February 2022) variants were predominant. Among patients with cancer, the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths per month occurred during the winter Omicron period (n = 5958): at the peak of the winter Omicron period, there were 18% more deaths compared with the peak of the wild-type period. In contrast, among the general public, the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths per month occurred during the wild-type period (n = 105 327), and at the peak of the winter Omicron period, there were 21% fewer COVID-19 deaths compared with the peak of the wild-type period. In subgroup analyses by cancer site, COVID-19 mortality increased the most, by 38%, among patients with lymphoma during the winter Omicron period vs the wild-type period.
Conclusions and Relevance
Findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that patients with cancer had a disparate burden of COVID-19 mortality during the winter Omicron wave compared with the general US population. With the emergence of new, immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants, many of which are anticipated to be resistant to monoclonal antibody treatments, strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission should remain a high priority.