Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Clin Lab Med. 2020 Dec;40(4):587-601. doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2020.08.013. Epub 2020 Aug 8.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 (also known as COVID-19) has been an unprecedented challenge in many parts of the medical field with blood banking being no exception. COVID-19 has had a distinctly negative effect on our blood collection nationwide forcing blood banks, blood centers, and the US government to adopt new policies to adapt to a decreased blood supply as well as to protect our donors from COVID-19. These policies can be seen distinctly in patient blood management and blood bank operations. We are also faced with developing policies and procedures for a nontraditional therapy, convalescent plasma; its efficacy and safety is still not completely elucidated as of yet.

Keywords: Blood banking; Blood shortage; Blood wastage; COVID-19; Convalescent plasma; FDA donation policies; Transfusion medicine.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus
  • Blood Banking* / methods
  • Blood Banks* / trends
  • Blood Donors / supply & distribution
  • Blood Safety
  • Blood Transfusion / standards*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / organization & administration*
  • Pandemics* / prevention & control
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / prevention & control
  • Policy Making
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Transfusion Medicine / standards
  • Transfusion Medicine / trends