"Transfusion-Transmitted Infections in the Era of COVID-19: Revisiting Blood Safety Practices"

Abstract

Blood transfusion has a well-documented clinical significance in several medical scenarios for instance severe anemia, massive blood loss caused by trauma, and major surgeries. Nevertheless, blood transfusion has been associated with post-transfusion complications, such as mismatch reactions, and transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). Fortunately, with the advent of medical advances, a safer supply of blood and blood products is now available. However, emerging infections, including Zika, Ebola, and coronaviruses, pose a risk to the safety of the blood supply. The major challenge faced at present is the selection of appropriate donors from all the donations. Because asymptomatic and apparently healthy carriers are the main source of transmission of infection, considerable effort is being made so that the recipients of blood and blood products can be protected. This study assesses the TTIs and screening policies of different blood banks across the Kingdom.