iwCLL 2021 | The effect of COVID-19 on CLL patient experiences
Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, Leukemia Care, Worcester, UK, discusses the findings of a study investigating the experiences of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Pemberton-Whiteley reports that there were high vaccination and shielding rates observed amongst patients with CLL, with a significant proportion of patients adhering to stay-at-home guidelines. Additionally, medical appointments were mostly conducted over the phone; however, more than half of patients expressed a desire for input regarding future treatment. A parallel clinical survey found that around 44 patients contracted COVID-19, and of those 12 were admitted to hospital, 50% of whom had opted not to shield. This highlights the effect of shielding in reducing the incidence of COVID-19 infection. This interview was conducted during the 2021 virtual international workshop on CLL (iwCLL) congress.
Disclosures
Zack Pemberton-Whiteley is the CEO of Leukemia Care, UK, the Chair of the Acute Leukemia Advocates Network (ALAN), and has received institutional grant funding and/or honoraria from AbbVie, Agios, Amgen, Astellas, Autolus, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, Incyte, Jazz, Janssen, Kite, Kyowa Kirin, Mallinckrodt, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Servier and Takeda.
