The new pandemic SARS-CoV-19 requires a new strategy in the oncology care in all over the world. Kazakhstan, with a population of 18.2 million, is a first country that re-introduced restrictions due to an increased level of the infected population. According to new rules, all admissions to the oncology hospitals and special care are based on negative RT-PCR tests and with no radiological evidence of pneumonia.
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection with clinical symptoms are treated in accordance with the National Guidelines of the COVID-19 management by Joint Commission on Quality of Health Services, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For these patients, special oncology treatment should be postponed. Special care of the SARS-CoV-2 symptoms is provided in infectious hospitals. As for July 21, there are 71,838 of the COVID-19 cases registered in Kazakhstan, put of which 3,585 are mortal ones. According to the National Cancer Register, there are 187,856 cancer patients in Kazakhstan. In order to evaluate the number of the oncological patients with COVID-19, we received data from the National Electronic Database in the period from March 2020 to July 2020.
The total number of the infected cancer patients is 178 and it varies in different regions. The majority of the cases are registered in the Karaganda region with 43 cancer patients (24%), Nur-Sultan city - 19 cases (10.6%), and the Kostanay region -16 cases (9%) with the total numbers of the COVID-19 infected population in these regions of 7,401; 8,832 and 2,071 cases respectively. Overall in Kazakhstan, the total number of the deceased from COVID-19 patients with cancer registered is 14. In the Karaganda region there are 6 deceased patients, 2 - in Kostanay, 2 - in Kyzyl-Orda, and 2 – in the North-Kazakhstan regions.
We consider all the cancer patients as a risk group, due to the COVID-19 infection, however, we stratified patients with cancer into three following categories: patients who require immediate special treatment; patients, to whom special treatment can be postponed; and those who can be supervised distantly and for who special treatment is not required for up to 3 month.
Kaidarova Dilyara.
Has not received any funding.
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.