Respiratory Viruses in Patients With Hematological Malignancy in Boreal Autumn/Winter 2023-2024: EPICOVIDEHA-EPIFLUEHA Report

Abstract

Community-acquired respiratory viral infections (CARV) significantly impact patients with hematological malignancies (HM), leading to high morbidity and mortality. However, large-scale, real-world data on CARV in these patients is limited. This study analyzed data from the EPICOVIDEHA-EPIFLUEHA registry, focusing on patients with HM diagnosed with CARV during the 2023-2024 autumn-winter season. The study assessed epidemiology, clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes. The study examined 1312 patients with HM diagnosed with CARV during the 2023-2024 autumn-winter season. Of these, 59.5% required hospitalization, with 13.5% needing ICU admission. The overall mortality rate was 10.6%, varying by virus: parainfluenza (21.3%), influenza (8.8%), metapneumovirus (7.1%), RSV (5.9%), or SARS-CoV-2 (5.0%). Poor outcomes were significantly associated with smoking history, severe lymphopenia, secondary bacterial infections, and ICU admission. This study highlights the severe risk CARV poses to patients with HM, especially those undergoing active treatment. The high rates of hospitalization and mortality stress the need for better prevention, early diagnosis, and targeted therapies. Given the severe outcomes with certain viruses like parainfluenza, tailored strategies are crucial to improving patient outcomes in future CARV seasons.

Keywords: antiviral therapy; community‐acquired respiratory viral infection; hematological malignancy; secondary infection; vaccine coverage.

FIGURE 1

Community‐acquired respiratory viral infection distribution per baseline hematological malignancy in EPICOVIDEHA‐EPIFLUEHA participants with hematological patients diagnosed with respiratory viral infections (September 2023–March 2024).

FIGURE 2

Day 30 survival probability by respiratory viral pathogen.