Characteristic Features of COVID-19 and Opportunities for Its Prevention in Multiple Myeloma Patients

BACKGROUND. Despite the considerable progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), infectious complications remain a challenge and one of the main mortality causes for this category of patients. Even in the post-pandemic period, MM patients are at high risk for COVID-19 infection.

AIM. To study the characteristic features of COVID-19 in MM patients and to assess the opportunities for its prevention.

MATERIALS & METHODS. The study enrolled 100 MM patients with an experience of COVID-19 treated in the hematological clinic of the Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology (Saint Petersburg) from 2020 to 2024. The median age was 67.5 years (range 37–84 years). Patients were stratified into two groups depending on COVID-19 severity: with asymptomatic/mild (n = 72) and severe/extremely severe (n = 28) course of the disease.

RESULTS. It appeared that the only significant mortality risk factor was severe COVID-19: the 2-year overall survival of patients with mild vs. severe virus infection was 93 % and 59 %, respectively. Lack of tumor remission (odds ratio [OR] 3.94; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.45–11.05; p = 0.008) and lack of vaccination (OR 3.94; 95% CI 1.18–18.09) were significantly associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Probability of COVID-19 recurrence was 16 % in patients with severe and 22.4 % in patients with mild infection (p = 0.34). Competing death risk was significantly higher in patients with severe infection, i.e., 29.2 % vs. 5 % in patients with mild COVID-19 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION. Non-vaccinated patients with a relapse or progression of MM are at high risk for severe COVID-19. Long-term survival rates and mortality risk in these patients directly depend on the severity of the infection. No relationship between the severity of COVID-19 and probability of infection recurrence has been revealed.

• Darya Aleksandrovna Chebykina Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology, 16 2-ya Sovetskaya ul., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 191024 https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7528-0798 (unauthenticated)
• I.I. Krobinets Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology, 16 2-ya Sovetskaya ul., Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, 191024 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6404-2387 (unauthenticated)

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