Blood transfusion during the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

Preview
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has become a pandemic, and by the end of March 2020, over 465,000 cases had been recorded worldwide, with a high mortality rate. Outbreak of the COVID-19 prompted the Chinese government to enforce travel restrictions and lock down cities in order to prevent the spread of the disease. The stringent social distancing measures have effectively contained the virus; however, these have also had a profound impact on the health system, including blood donation and supply, and clinical transfusion management. There is still no proven effective therapy for COVID-19, and many treatment options are now on trial. The convalescence plasma therapy has also been tried and showed effectiveness against coronavirus on some patients in China. [ … ]