Raising awareness of the impact of COVID on people with sickle cell disease

PLANT CITY, Florida – Hillsborough County Sickle Cell Association mission is to inform people with the disease of the impact COVID-19 could have on them.

A walk takes place in Plant City on Saturday to help raise awareness.

The 1.5 mile walk is at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center.

The walk aims to educate people with sickle cell disease about the impact of the COVID-19 virus.

Medical experts say sickle cell disease is most common in the African American community. The disease causes red blood cells to break down.

Medication or a blood fusion and rarely a bone marrow transplant are the only treatment for the disease. Studies show that people with sickle cell disease are four times more likely to be hospitalized and twice as likely to die from covid-19.

“I think this study is what we’re seeing in practice, as sickle cell patients have health effects and co-morbidities that occur due to sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Andrew Galligan, of the USF College of Medicine. “So they are at high risk for hospitalization, pneumonia and infection to begin with and by developing serious illness like Covid, it is not surprising to see higher hospitalization rates and death rates.”

Galligan says he generally doesn’t see long-term health issues with people who only have sickle cell traits.

In addition to the walk, participants also have access to more information about sickle cell disease and COVID-19.