Two useful sources of uptodate information are the Association of Cancer Physicians and Royal Collage of Radiologist websites respectively.
A plethora of tests are in development. These will be critical in helping us to understand how immunity develops in immunosupressed cancer patients, in whom the development of immunity may well be very different the general population. A group of researchers based atUCSF, UC Berkeley, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, and Innovative Genomics Institute are publishing their rapid comparisons of emerging ELISA test. https://covidtestingproject.org/
The ICNARC reported on data on 3883 patients admitted to critical care units in England Wales and Northern Ireland. Outcomes were available for 1689 patients. Approximately 50% (871 (52%) patients died, 818 (48%) discharged alive from critical care). The data suggest the outcome is particularly poor if advanced respiratory support (i.e. invasive ventilation) is required. Those who received advanced respiratory support, 66.3% of patients died, whereas 80.6% of those receiving basic respiratory support (high-flow oxygen, CPAP, NIV) survived critical care. As is widely reported, age was associated with a worse outcome in critical care. In summary, significant consideration should be given in identifying patients who should be considered for critical care support in advance, and at the time of respiratory deterioration.
In guiding our approach in oncology, more evidence is needed, noting that evidence from Italy and China have suggested that mortality rates were higher in patients with cancer (see the WHO-China Joint Mission Report, and the Case Fatality Rate Italy papers).
Of relevance to the cancer community, the largest available study of hospitalised patients comprises 105 patients with cancer and 233 non-cancer patients. The title of the study – ‘Patients with Cancer Appear More Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2..’ – requires further interrogation. Comparing the cancer and non-cancer groups, the patients with cancer were older and had a greater proportion of those with cardiovascular diseases. The conclusion that more cancer patients had a severe outcome (mortality, ICU admission, critical symptom or invasive ventilation) must be considered with this in mind. Further, when they looked at patients with Stage I-III disease, the outcomes were the same as patients without cancer. The statistical analyses performed based on treatment status are too limited by patient number to be meaningful. For example, conclusions about certain treatment modalities conferring a greater or lesser likelihood of a poor outcome are based on patient groups of 13 or less per treatment type.
As such, it is difficult for oncologists to establish the risk posed by cancer itself, anti-cancer treatment or the social contact required for cancer care.
COVID-19 updates

Lung cancer admission patterns during the pandemic
Data from a single-center study in Scotland suggested that there were more patients with lung cancer admitted acutely with cancer, non-COVID-19-related illness
Evidence Update – Covid-19 in patients with Thoracic Malignancies
Speciality Trainee in Medical Oncology Dr Ashley Pheely gives an update on some recent evidence about Covid-19 in patients with cancer TERAVOLT
Evidence Update – Covid-19 and Cancer
Speciality Trainee in Medical Oncology Dr Sam Kestenbaum gives an update on some recent evidence about Covid-19 in patients with cancer Clinical
Evidence Update – Covid-19 in Healthcare Workers
Speciality Trainee in Clinical Oncology Dr Karen Mactier gives an update on some recent evidence. Evidence of past COVID-19 infection in healthcare
Evidence Update – Covid-19 and Cancer 2
Specialist registrar in Clinical Oncology Dr Stuart Walter reviews two recent papers He highlights the importance of acknowledging the conclusion in the
Evidence update – COVID-19 outcomes in cancer patients
Specialty Trainee in Clinical Oncology Dr Ruth Fullerton gives an update on some recent evidence. For people living with cancer and the

Is there an excess in cancer deaths in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Dr Jonine Figueroa, Cancer Epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh analysis of the latest death registration data in Scotland and looks at excess COVID-related mortality in cancer patients
COVID19 and cancer – making sense of the risk
Specialty Registrar and ECAT Clinical Lecturer in Medical Oncology Dr Karin Purshouse outlines the early evidence around the risk posed by COVID19