[The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and hematologic oncology or BMT practice at our center in US].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted a considerable impact in our region; thus, we have been performing only emergency transplants in March 2020. At present, all inpatients and surgical patients are being tested and screened for COVID-19. If they are found to be positive, they are transferred to the COVID-19 ward, where a specialized team manages them. Team-based care allows the hematology/oncology teams to perform their regular duties. In particular, for post-transplant patients, treatment decisions are made through discussion with infectious disease specialists, and in principle, the patients are treated using the same protocol as that used for the general COVID-19 infected patients. Currently, vaccination is being promoted at a rapid pace based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines (CDC) guidelines. At our institution, when a situation of suspected nosocomial COVID-19 infection occurred, all healthcare workers were tested. Thereafter, all hospitalized patients were tested every week for COVID-19, and we were able to overcome the situation. Although definitive measures for COVID-19 are yet to be established, signs of an end to the infection are beginning to appear with a wider availability of vaccines.

Australia and New Zealand Transplant and Cellular Therapies COVID-19 vaccination consensus position statement.

Australia and New Zealand have achieved excellent community control of COVID-19 infection. In light of the imminent COVID-19 vaccination roll out in both countries, representatives of all adult and paediatric allogeneic bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy (TCT) centres as well as representatives from autologous transplant only centres in Australia and New Zealand collaborated with infectious diseases specialists with expertise in TCT on this consensus position statement regarding COVID-19 vaccination in TCT patients in Australia and New Zealand. It is our recommendation that TCT patients, should have expedited access to high-efficacy COVID-19 vaccines given that these patients are at high risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 infection. We also recommend prioritising vaccination of TCT healthcare workers and household members of TCT patients. Vaccination should not replace other public health measures in TCT patients given the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in TCT patients is unknown. Furthermore, given the limited available data, prospective collection of safety and efficacy data of COVID-19 vaccination in this patient group is a priority.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immune Responses in Patients Receiving an Allogeneic Stem Cell or Organ Transplant.

Patients after autologous (autoSCT) and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) are at an increased risk of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality, compounded by an immune system weakened by the underlying malignancy and prior treatments. Allogeneic transplantation, including stem cell and solid organ transplants, requires intensive immunosuppressive prophylaxis, which may further undermine the development of a protective vaccine-induced anti-viral immunity. Herein, we report on short- and long-term antiviral immune responses in two peri-stem cell transplant recipients and a third patient who received a COVID-19 vaccination after kidney transplantation. Our data indicate that: (1) patients post-alloSCT may be able to mount an anti-COVID-19 immune response; however, a sufficient time interval between transplant and exposure may be of critical importance; (2) alloSCT recipients with preexisting anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity are at risk for losing protective humoral immunity following transplantation, particularly if the stem-cell donor lacks antiviral immunity, e.g., vaccine-derived immunity; and (3) some post-transplant patients are completely unable to build an immune response to a COVID-19 vaccine, perhaps based on the prophylactic suppression of T cell immunity.