Журнал болезней крови и переливания крови

Абстрактный

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Blood Transfusion Systems: International Review and the Moroccan Blood Transfusion System Experience

Sabah Meham, Khilan Lahjouji, Mohammed Benab , Azlarab Mascar

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is considered by several Scientifics and transfusion experts to present a potential risk of reducing and compromising the supply of blood products. Blood establishments had to activate their emergency plans and to propose appropriate response measures.

Method: It is an international review where we used key term search strategy to identify necessary information about the impact of some previous health crisis on the availability and the safety of blood products and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the availability and the safety of blood products in some blood establishments around the world. Additionally, we presented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Moroccan transfusion system activities and the measures established by the Moroccan National Centre of Blood Transfusion and Hematology (MNCBTH) to ensure a good management of this health crisis on the availability and the safety blood products in Morocco.

Results: Virus like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Influenza A (H1N1) virus, Chikungunya virus and Zika virus have been of great concern in terms of virulence, modes of transmission and impact on blood transfusion activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the availability of blood products in blood establishments worldwide. In Morocco, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted blood collections and caused an important decrease in the number of blood donors nationally. The pandemic impacted other activities of the blood transfusion system in Morocco like as continuing education program, meeting activities, technical missions and the Moroccan plasma removal for the fractionation.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on blood transfusion activities worldwide. The MNCBTH has expressed continued adaptability to ensure proper management of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the availability and safety of blood products in Morocco.