COVID-19 challenges-To the point of cell delivery - The reality
Ashton, Lindsey Leather, Angela
Ashton, Lindsey
Leather, Angela
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Background: Here we intend to highlight the new challenges of organizing cell donation from a donor medical
through to cell delivery at the Transplant centre during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Activity within the Transplant program has been reduced in 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. However this hasn’t come with a reduced work load.
The Pandemic has presented Transplant teams with new
challenges, hurdles and obstacles to consider.
Methods: The donor is pivotal and the starting point of
the allogeneic transplant. We are requiring more commitment from our donors in these unprecedented times. The
risk of visiting a hospital environment from both an
emotional and physical wellbeing. Weighing up the balance
of protecting the donor and minimizing the risk. When to
Screen, the number of Covid tests required. The additional
inconvenience of isolating that’s required prior to donation.
Financial cost, employer and family support. The guidelines
are available for us to follow and interpret in addition to
internal trust specific guidelines and policies, all of which
are forever changing.
Results: During the first 4 months of the pandemic
being a treating cancer centre, we were unable to continue
as a collection centre. There were concerns for donor and
patient safety, capacity issues and staff numbers all
considered too greater risk. We recommenced in September prior to the second outbreak and were faced with
certain challenges. In 2019 we saw 99 unrelated donors of
which 77 Proceeded to donate. From January to April
2020 when the pandemic started to hit and the service was
put on hold, we saw 28 donors for medical and 20 donors
proceeded to donate.
Since, recommencing our service as a collection centre in
September, we have been faced with new challenges. Two
donors were found to be positive prior to donation. One at
medical and the other post medical pre GCSF. Both
resulted in a delayed transplant for the recipient, with
additional support being required for the donors. We also
experienced a positive Covid result after donation with
uncertainty for the transplant centre if to use the cells—
ultimately a transplant centre decision. Most harvested cells
are being cryopreserved, increasing the risk of donated
cells not been used. Throughout this process we are
learning there are no easy answers. Further hurdles include
Donors living overseas and the logistics of cell collection
and time scales transporting the cells with bans and
restrictions on travel, closed borders, cancelled flights and
courier restrictions.
Conclusions: How did we manage and overcome these
challenges. At what cost? Psychological, physical and
financial. For whose benefit? Donor, Recipient or both. This
pandemic is forever evolving with no end in sight. We can
only learn from what we know so far and improve on our
practice supporting our donors at every step of their
altruistic journey of their donation.
Authors
Affiliation
Description
Date
2021
Publisher
Collections
Keywords
Type
Meetings and Proceedings
Citation
Ashton L, Leather A. COVID-19 challenges-To the point of cell delivery - The reality. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 2021;56(SUPPL 1):353.