Öz

Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic that has been the main issue of the healthcare since December 2019. There are
difficulties in treatment and follow-up for hematology patients. In this study, we aimed to share data about the disease and mortality of patients
diagnosed with COVID-19.

Materials and Methods: The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2021 were included. Patients were retrospectively
analyzed.

Results: Forty-nine patients were evaluated. Twenty-one were female, 28 were male, the median age was 64 (19-84) years. Nineteen patients
had no comorbidities. Thirty patients had 1-4 comorbid diagnoses. Forty-one (83%) patients had malignant hematological diagnosis, 33 (67%)
of them were receiving active chemotherapy. Sixteen (33%) patients were in the cytopenic period. Six patients were asymptomatic at the time
of diagnosis. Nineteen (38.8%) of the patients had mild illness, 6 (12.2%) had moderate COVID-19, 24 (49%) had severe disease. Fourteen (29%)
patients were followed up at home, while 35 (71%) patients were hospitalized. Twenty-one (60%) of the inpatients were followed up in the intensive
care unit. Totally 17 patients (34.6%) died from COVID-19 infection. Being diagnosed with COVID-19 during hospitalization for the hematological
causes, hematological disease status, cytopenia on the day of COVID-19 diagnosis, hospitalization for COVID-19 treatment, lung involvement,
accompanying extrapulmonary organ involvement, decreased hemoglobin level and thrombocyte count, systemic inflammatory response syndrome
development, intensive care admission, intubation and secondary infection during hospitalization were the factors associated with higher mortality.

Conclusion: In this study, we observed that COVID-19 had a higher morbidity and mortality in hematological patients. More attention should be
paid to hematological patient groups in the era of COVID-19 to protect them from the disease.