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THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN CHILDREN WITH CANCER: A REPORT FROM SAUDI ARABIA
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  • Mohammed AlShahrani,
  • Ghaleb Elyamany,
  • QANITA SEDICK,
  • Walid Ibrahim,
  • Amal Mohammed,
  • Mohammed Othman,
  • Nour Al Thibani,
  • Omar Alsuhaibani ,
  • MOHAMMAD AL AMRO,
  • Ali Gharawi,
  • Omar Al Shareef ,
  • Yasser Elborai,
  • Fahad Alabbas,
  • AMAL HASSAN ,
  • May AlMoshary,
  • Eman Al Mussaed,
  • Nawaf Alkhayat
Mohammed AlShahrani
Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Ghaleb Elyamany
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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QANITA SEDICK
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Walid Ibrahim
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Amal Mohammed
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Mohammed Othman
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Nour Al Thibani
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Omar Alsuhaibani
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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MOHAMMAD AL AMRO
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Ali Gharawi
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Omar Al Shareef
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Yasser Elborai
Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC)
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Fahad Alabbas
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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AMAL HASSAN
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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May AlMoshary
Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University
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Eman Al Mussaed
Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University
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Nawaf Alkhayat
Prince Sultan Military Medical City
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Abstract

Background: On January 2020, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. Due to rapid spread 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. Procedure: We did a cross sectional study to assess the impact on this outbreak on children with cancer with regard to all aspects of life including medical services provided, the specific precautions to prevent spread in cancer patients, mental, psychological effect and its affection on quality of life. Results: We collected 204 responses during a survey which 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. 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. Conclusion: Our long-term goals are to develop new programs which will enable children with cancer to emerge successfully during a pandemic.