SARS-CoV-2 infections in children undergoing anticancer therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A multicenter nationwide study.

Authors

Olga Zając-Spychała, S Rutkowska, K Derwich, K Czyżewski, K Jaremek, O Grochowska, P Zalas-Więcek, E Bień, N Irga-Jaworska, M Salamonowicz-Bodzioch, J Frączkiewicz, K Kałwak, Ł Hutnik, A Szmydki-Baran, A Minkowska, K Pikora, P Łaguna, K Pawińska-Wąsikowska, S Skoczeń, W Balwierz, F Pierlejewski, M Nowak, M Zdunek, W Młynarski, W Stolpa, K Baranowska, A Mizia-Malarz, M Płonowski, M Krawczuk-Rybak, O Gryniewicz-Kwiatkowska, M Łukszo, B Dembowska-Bagińska, A Królak, T Ociepa, T Urasiński, R Tomaszewska, A Książek, T Szczepański, P Wawryków, J Peregud-Pogorzelski, T Brzeski, K Mycko, W Badowska, J Zawitkowska, A Zaucha-Prażmo, K Drabko, K Smalisz, J Goździk, A Urbanek-Dądela, G Karolczyk, S Pająk, S Krawczyk, K Machnik, J Styczyński

Published in

Scientific reports. Jun 27, 2026. Epub Jun 27, 2026.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) introduced an important public health threat in the world beginning in 2019. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical characteristics, treatment methods and outcomes of pediatric cancer patients and HSCT recipients who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection between 2020 and 2023 in Poland. During the study period among all pediatric oncological patients, 496 children (12.2%), i.e. 204 girls and 292 boys were at least one detected positive during anticancer therapy. Among HSCT recipients at least one episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed in 41 (6.0%; p < 0.001 oncology vs. transplant) patients, i.e. 10 girls, 31 boys including 39 (7.6%) after allo-HSCT and 2 (1.2%) after auto-HSCT (p = 0.001 allo vs. auto). SARS-CoV-2 infection has mild-moderate course in majority of pediatric cancer patients and transplant recipients, however, the presence of severe or critical illness is higher than in the general pediatric population. Interestingly, we observed less severe clinical courses of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the recent year than at the beginning of pandemic.

PMID:
42365039
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Jun 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.