Effects of COVID-19 in lymphoid malignancies

Abstract

I will have a couple of comments on the issues elaborated in the article titled as 'Impact of COVID-19 in patients with lymphoid malignancies'. First, the author did not emphasize and overlook the prolonged persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with hematological malignancies. Second, the rise of a chronic lymphoid leukemia clone in COVID-19 was not mentioned by the authors. Third, achieving a complete remission in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with follicular lymphoma in partial remission after bendamustine-based therapy is not specific to this lymphoma subtype. Fourth, follicular lymphoma does not always undergo complete remission with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our aim is to help the authors to discuss and clarify these issues a little more in COVID-19 patients with hematological malignancies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Lymphoid malignancy; SARS-CoV-2; Tumor.