The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Children With Cancer: A Report From Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In January 2020, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. Due to the rapid spread of 2019-nCoV, all countries started preventive and precautionary measures to prevent COVID-19 infection spread. These measures limited the population mobility and services provided, which subsequently Impact of on children with cancer and cancer care delivery in the many health centers in Saudi Arabia. We did a cross-sectional study to assess the impact of this outbreak on children with cancer concerning all aspects of life including medical services provided, the specific precautions to prevent spread in cancer patients, mental, psychological effects, and its effect on the quality of life. We collected 204 responses during a survey that assessed the impact on the treatment of cancer children at a tertiary institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of patients were receiving ongoing chemotherapy for leukemia/lymphoma. The majority of these patients (60.5%) reported a delay in treatment received due to hospital cancellation of appointments due to the pandemic. Although the majority of patients in our cohort complained of delayed treatment, fortunately, none of the delays led to fatalities. In the context of global lockdowns and physical distancing to help flatten the COVID-19 curve, telemedicine has proved fundamental to keeping patients and their healthcare providers connected and safe. Children also faced multiple other difficulties such as psychosocial issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our long-term goals are to develop new programs that will enable children with cancer to emerge successfully during a pandemic.

Cancer Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review of Patients’ and Caregivers’ Experiences

“…(II) Experiences of accessing cancer treatment and care services Participants in the majority of the included studies reported experiences of treatment delays [17,18,20,22,24,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

“…(III) Communication in relation to cancer care Disruptions in regular communications between patients and health services were commonly reported including the use of remote forms of communications using video technology or telephone [17,20,22,30,35]. Patients identi ed positive aspects of telecommunication for example, the ease of accessing care from the privacy and comfort of one's home and the ability to maintain physical distance [22].…”

“…Approximately 55% of the 204 participants in a study conducted in a tertiary-institution study felt unsafe to visit the hospital [17]. Furthermore, cancer patients appeared overall more afraid about the complications which may arise from contracting COVID-19 [17] Prospects of not being able to say farewell to family and friends in case of dying were also reported [33]. References were also made to fears surrounding family members contracting the virus and patients expressed worries and concerns about treatment delays due to the postponement of elective procedures [32].…”

“…(IV) Perceived risk of infection, anxiety and fear Feelings of anxiety and fear surrounding the pandemic was common with eighteen studies referencing changes in emotional and psychological functioning [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][32][33][34][35]. Approximately 55% of the 204 participants in a study conducted in a tertiary-institution study felt unsafe to visit the hospital [17]. Furthermore, cancer patients appeared overall more afraid about the complications which may arise from contracting COVID-19 [17] Prospects of not being able to say farewell to family and friends in case of dying were also reported [33].…”

“…Parents reported fears surrounding COVID-19 mortality rates and expressed concerns about the high transmissibility and limited knowledge surrounding the virus [29]. In one of these studies [17], over 67% of parents reported the onset of new behavioural occurrences amongst their children since the pandemic. Parents were worried about the negative effects of the pandemic on children's mental and physical health, both now and in the long-term.…”