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. 2021 Dec;31(6):421-430.
doi: 10.1111/tme.12828. Epub 2021 Oct 24.

Effect of the first year of COVID-19 pandemic on the collection and use of blood components in Colombia monitored through the national haemovigilance system

María-Isabel Bermúdez-Forero  1 , Jonathan-Andrés Soto-Viáfara  1 , Paula-Andrea Gardeazábal-Acuña  1 , Diego-Alexander Anzola-Samudio  1 , Michel-Andrés García-Otálora  2
Affiliations

Effect of the first year of COVID-19 pandemic on the collection and use of blood components in Colombia monitored through the national haemovigilance system

María-Isabel Bermúdez-Forero et al. Transfus Med. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: This work aimed to establish the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood collection and blood product usage at the end of the first year.

Background: The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Colombia on March 6, 2020, triggered closure of borders and mandatory lockdown from March 23, 2020.

Methods/materials: The Colombian National Institute of Health administers the National database of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 and the National Haemovigilance System. We examined positive SARS-CoV-2 cases identified between March 6, 2020, and March 6, 2021, using positive RT-PCR testing (72.8%) or reactive antigen (27.2%). We also analysed accepted and deferred donors' information provided by 100% of blood banks and transfused patients notified by 83% of health care facilities nationwide, between March 1, 2019, to February 28, 2021.

Results: Colombia registered 2 273 245 SARS-CoV-2 cases. From these, 60 412 people died from COVID-19 (2.7%) and 2 172 418 individuals recovered (95.6%). There were 11 659 216 SARS-CoV-2 processed samples nationwide. People between the ages of 20 and 39 years concentrated 44.4% of the SARS-CoV-2 cases. There were 773 569 blood donations, mainly from a 20-39-year-old population (60.5%). The pandemic caused a reduction of 155 393 blood donations (16.7%) and 51 823 total deferrals (33.7%). An 18.4% drop in volunteer donors and a 37.3% increase in donations from family/replacements members were observed. There were 399 453 transfused patients and 1 179 895 blood components administered (-8.7% and - 13.9% compared to March 2019-February 2020).

Conclusion: Mandatory lockdowns in Colombia decreased blood collection and usage, resulting in a reduction of blood components transfused to individual patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; blood banks; blood donor; blood component.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 cases and blood donations based on sex and age
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Potential Blood Donors attended by blood banks compared to number of new confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 cases per week
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Variation in blood components transfused to patients: March–February 2019–2020 versus 2020–2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. WHO . Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic. Regional office for Europe, World Health Organization. Accessed 24/06/2020, 2020.
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    1. Salud M. Colombia confirma primera muerte por coronavirus. Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social. 2020.
    1. Decreto 637 (Gobierno de la República de Colombia) 17 (2020).

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