COVID-19 infection in two homozygous sickle cell patients in a reference hospital in Cameroon: Case reports

Abstract

We report two cases of COVID-19 infection. The first was a 22-year-old female and the second one a 42-year-old male, were both homozygous sickle cell disease (SCD) patients known since their childhood, but with different medical follow-ups for SCD. Initially, they were admitted to the hospital for a vaso-occlusive crisis. They both subsequently developed respiratory symptoms for which the Initial diagnosis of acute chest syndrome was made. Meanwhile, SARS-COV-2 infection was a potential differential diagnosis due to the prevailing use of COVID-19 pandemic. This infection was subsequently confirmed in these patients, and the common pathophysiological trends described in both conditions were observed, as well as clinical and biological manifestations that could be assimilated to both disease entities. Both patients were managed with the national COVID-19 disease protocol while maintaining specific treatment elements for vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell patients. Both had favourable outcomes. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, a high index of clinical suspicion of COVID-19 disease is warranted in SCD patients presenting with respiratory symptoms to reduce the morbid mortality of both sickle cell disease and COVID-19.