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Microbes & Immunity Anemia among COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia

primary target for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This can result Author contributions
in cell lysis and the elimination of immature red blood cells
by phagocytic cells. 29,30 The presence of viral receptors in Conceptualization: Abateneh Melkamu, Yalew Muche
these cells can lead to low hemoglobin levels in COVID-19 Writing-original draft: Abateneh Melkamu, Yalew Muche
patients experiencing severe clinical manifestations of the Writing-review & editing: All authors
disease. 31 Ethical approval and consent to participate
In subgroup analysis based on the study area, the Not applicable.
prevalence of anemia is higher in Addis Ababa compared
to the Amhara region. This difference may be attributed to Consent for publication
the higher burden of non-communicable diseases in Addis
Ababa. The presence of non-communicable diseases can Not applicable.
32
exacerbate the severity of COVID-19 infection, including Availability of data
anemia. In addition, non-communicable diseases and
33
anemia can often be interlinked, as both conditions have All data supporting this document are found in the
various risk factors that can influence each other. manuscript and supplementary files.
Furthermore, high heterogeneity was observed in References
the pooled prevalence analysis performed in our study.
The possible factors contributing to the difference in 1. Cascella M, Rajnik M, Aleem A, Dulebohn SC, Di Napoli R.
prevalence could include variations in sample size, study Features, evaluation, and treatment of coronavirus
(COVID-19). In: StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls
area, sampling technique, and study design among the Publishing LLC; 2024.
included studies.
2. Faramarzi A, Norouzi S, Dehdarirad H, Aghlmand S,
In our study, we try to show the pooled prevalence of Yusefzadeh H, Javan-Noughabi J. The global economic
anemia, but we have not shown the risk factors and specific burden of COVID-19 disease: A comprehensive systematic
types of anemia. Furthermore, relatively few investigations review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev. 2024;13(1):68.
were conducted on the issue, limiting our results and doi: 10.1186/s13643-024-02476-6
conclusions.
3. Elahi S. Hematopoietic responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
5. Conclusion Cell Mol Life Sci. 2022;79(3):187.
This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a doi: 10.1007/s00018-022-04220-6
moderate prevalence of anemia among COVID-19 4. Zeylabi F, Nameh Goshay Fard N, Parsi A, Pezeshki SM.
patients in Ethiopia, according to the WHO’s classification. Bone marrow alterations in COVID-19 infection: The
A higher prevalence of anemia was observed in Addis root of hematological problems. Curr Res Transl Med.
Ababa compared to the Amhara region. It is important to 2023;71(3):103407.
note that further research is needed to fully understand doi: 10.1016/j.retram.2023.103407
the relationship between COVID-19 infection and 5. Jha M, Tak ML, Gupta R, et al. Relationship of anemia with
the various types of anemia. Individuals who are COVID-19 deaths: A retrospective cross-sectional study.
infected with COVID-19 and experience symptoms of J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2022;38(Suppl 1):S115-S119.
anemia, such as fatigue, weakness, and pale skin, should
consult a health-care provider for proper evaluation and doi: 10.4103/joacp.joacp_63_22
management. 6. Tao Z, Xu J, Chen W, et al. Anemia is associated with severe
illness in COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study. J Med
Acknowledgments Virol. 2021;93(3):1478-1488.

We would like to acknowledge the authors who provided doi: 10.1002/jmv.26444
us with comments while writing this review. 7. GBD 2021 Anaemia Collaborators. Prevalence, years lived
with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity
Funding and cause, 1990-2021: Findings from the global burden of
None. disease study 2021. Lancet Haematol. 2023;10(9):e713-e734.
doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(23)00160-6
Conflict of interest
8. Bergamaschi G, Borrelli de Andreis F, Aronico N, et al.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Anemia in patients with Covid-19: Pathogenesis and clinical

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