WEDNESDAY, Jan. 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with cancer have an increased risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infection and worse outcomes, with the highest risk seen for patients with hematologic cancer, according to a study published online Dec. 29 in JAMA Oncology.
Inna Y. Gong, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and colleagues found that severe outcomes of COVID-19 (composite of hospitalization and death) were significantly higher in patients with versus without cancer. They wrote, "Our findings support the prioritization of high-risk populations for booster vaccination, forthcoming variant-specific vaccine products, preexposure prophylaxis (where available), and rapid antiviral treatment in the face of SARS-CoV-2 infection as COVID-19 continues to be relevant with ongoing surges leading to excess morbidity and mortality."