E-ISSN 1658-7820
 

Original Article
Online Published: 29 Dec 2024
 


COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia

Abdulrahman Zuhair Fita, Abdullah Hameed Alhussain, Abdulrahman Tarek Subaih, Abdullah Saeed Alshehri, Shahanas Chathoth, Cyril Cyrus.


Abstract
Objective: The current study sought to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the worsening of sickle cell disease (SCD) complications and find long-term impacts that influence prognosis.
Methods: A retrospective, questionnaire-based study included Saudi SCD patients with a history of COVID-19 infection. SCD patients without COVID-19 served as a control group. Clinical data were collected from hospital records and direct communication with patients.
Results: Of 46 patients, 32.6% were aged 26-35 years, and 45.7% were females. Among 35 patients (76%) with COVID-19, 29 had a single infection, and 4 had two infections. Vaccination data showed 16 infections occurred pre-vaccination, six post-first dose, and seven post-second dose. Post-infection, predominant symptoms included abdominal pain (23%), shortness of breath (20%), and chest pain (17%). Acute chest syndrome-related complications occurred in 63% of cases, with 9% reporting stroke. Hydroxyurea (29 patients) and blood transfusions (17 patients) were common treatments, while 17.4% used daily painkillers.
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection significantly increases the risk of acute chest syndrome and other complications in SCD patients. Long-term effects must be studied to improve timely and effective treatment strategies for this vulnerable population.

Key words: COVID-19, sickle cell disease, vaccination, exacerbation, Saudi Arabia


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Fita AZ, Alhussain AH, Subaih AT, Alshehri AS, Chathoth S, Cyrus C. COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2024; 8(12): 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426


Web Style

Fita AZ, Alhussain AH, Subaih AT, Alshehri AS, Chathoth S, Cyrus C. COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=233778 [Access: October 14, 2025]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Fita AZ, Alhussain AH, Subaih AT, Alshehri AS, Chathoth S, Cyrus C. COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2024; 8(12): 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Fita AZ, Alhussain AH, Subaih AT, Alshehri AS, Chathoth S, Cyrus C. COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. (2024), [cited October 14, 2025]; 8(12): 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



Harvard Style

Fita, A. Z., Alhussain, . A. H., Subaih, . A. T., Alshehri, . A. S., Chathoth, . S. & Cyrus, . C. (2024) COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. IJMDC, 8 (12), 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



Turabian Style

Fita, Abdulrahman Zuhair, Abdullah Hameed Alhussain, Abdulrahman Tarek Subaih, Abdullah Saeed Alshehri, Shahanas Chathoth, and Cyril Cyrus. 2024. COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 8 (12), 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



Chicago Style

Fita, Abdulrahman Zuhair, Abdullah Hameed Alhussain, Abdulrahman Tarek Subaih, Abdullah Saeed Alshehri, Shahanas Chathoth, and Cyril Cyrus. "COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 8 (2024), 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Fita, Abdulrahman Zuhair, Abdullah Hameed Alhussain, Abdulrahman Tarek Subaih, Abdullah Saeed Alshehri, Shahanas Chathoth, and Cyril Cyrus. "COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 8.12 (2024), 3626-3632. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Fita, A. Z., Alhussain, . A. H., Subaih, . A. T., Alshehri, . A. S., Chathoth, . S. & Cyrus, . C. (2024) COVID-19 infection induced health complications among sickle cell disease patients in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 8 (12), 3626-3632. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1734629426





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