COVID-19 Infection in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) typically occurs in the elderly and has a highly variable clinical course. Infectious complications have been known to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in CLL patients. The management of hematological malignancies, including CLL, during the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging. Here we describe two patients with CLL who got infected with SARS-COV-2 as confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab PCR. The 1st patient, who was receiving treatment for CLL-associated autoimmune hemolytic anemia, was hospitalized with mild COVID-19 symptoms. The 2nd patient, who was on active treatment for CLL, had asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and was not hospitalized. Both patients recovered from COVID-19 without related complications.