What needs to be considered in patients with MPN with COVID-19?

During the 2nd How to Diagnose & Treat CML / MPN, the MPN Hub spoke to Tiziano Barbui, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, IT. We asked, What needs to be considered in patients with MPN with COVID-19?

To introduce the topic, Barbui discusses a Swedish population-based study that reported that patients with MPN and myelofibrosis were particularly vulnerable to infections. He gives a thorough discussion on the results of an international study evaluating patients with different phenotypes of MPN and COVID-19 conducted by the European LeukemiaNet (ELN). Notably, Barbui believes that patients with MPN with COVID-19 taking ruxolitinib should not discontinue treatment during the acute COVID-19 phase due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, Barbui touches upon the response rate of patients with MPN to COVID-19 vaccines.