Increased incidence of haemolytic anaemia in COVID-19 pandemic time? A cross-sectional study

Introduction: After the global impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which affects over 50 million individuals worldwide, the immune system has been reported hyperactivation and heightened autoantibody production. Post the COVID-19 pandemic, the diagnosis of hemolytic anemia has also exhibited a noteworthy escalation in emergency department admissions, capturing the attention of clinicians in this setting. Considering that autoimmune haemolytic anaemias are also classified under this group, the study investigated whether there was in fact a change in the incidence of haemolytic anaemia. Material and methods: The study included retrospective data from 591 patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed with anemia between September 2020 and September 2023. A retrospective review of patient records covered both pre- and post-diagnosis periods. The collected data comprised demographic information, laboratory values, primary diagnoses, and clinical outcomes. The classification resulted in three distinct groups: Chronic Anemia (CA), Anemia Due to Blood Loss (BLA), and Hemolytic Anemia (HA). Results: Between 2020 and 2023, the incidence of anemia notably decreased among patients in the CA group, whereas a significant increase in anemia incidence was observed among patients in the HA group over the same study period (p value < 0.05). Conclusions: The study found that there was indeed an increase in the incidence of haemolytic anaemia. Howewer with this, further detailed studies are needed to determine whether the rise in the incidence of hemolytic anemia during the COVID-19 pandemic is attributable to autoimmune disease.