Impact of COVID‐19 on Hematologic Cancer Patients: Insights From the Late Pandemic Phase

Background The COVID‐19 pandemic significantly increased mortality risks for individuals with hematological malignancies. Patients and Methods We conducted a single‐center observational study, focusing on the late pandemic phase of the infection (2022–2023), to identify risk factors associated with COVID‐19 outcomes in vaccinated patients with hematological malignancies. Results Eighty‐five COVID‐19 cases were recorded among patients with hematological malignancies, primarily Multiple Myeloma (MM) (38.8%), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (10.6%) and Non‐Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) (35.3%). Despite a high COVID‐19 vaccination rate (97.6%), severe/critical illness occurred in 23.5% of patients. The overall COVID‐19‐related mortality rate was 22.4%, with a 30‐day mortality rate of 11.8%. Although mortality rates significantly decreased over the observation time (27.7% vs. 16.7%), this trend was not confirmed in critical infection carriers. Conclusion Our data confirm that, despite a reduction in critical infections and overall mortality rates over time, patients with hematological malignancies remain at high risk during the endemic phase of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.