An evaluation of blood collection efficiency at the regional level: the case of Turkey

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze Turkey's blood collection efficiency at the regional level between 2018 and 2021 and discuss managerial implications. Design/methodology/approach: The authors utilize data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the efficiency scores of the 18 regions for which the Turkish Red Crescent is responsible. The data set is obtained from the General Directorate of Blood Services in the Turkish Red Crescent. Finding(s): The results reveal that the efficient regions over the years did not substantially change, and regions that were consistently efficient for a four-year period are identified. Another finding is that COVID-19 did not affect the blood collection efficiency of the regions. Moreover, the findings illustrate that concentrating on the operations would contribute more to the blood collection efficiency than changing the scale size. Furthermore, the authors observe that the service population is by far the most important variable in determining the efficiency of the regions. Originality/value: In this study, the authors present a multi-dimensional perspective on the performance evaluation of blood collection operations. In addition, the authors present blood bank managers' feedback on the performance evaluation model, outlining managerial implications. Furthermore, the authors explore the effects of the pandemic on blood collection in Turkey and illustrate the changes in efficiency throughout a distinct period that incorporates the pandemic. The study would provide a guide for blood bank managers to improve the performance of their organizations.Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Blood Supply Analysis during Pandemic in Indonesian Red Cross of Semarang City

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected healthcare facilities globally. The current condition was a formidable challenge to maintaining blood supply in a blood center. This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed the impact of COVID-19 Enforcement of Limitation on Community Activities on blood supply management in The Indonesian Red Cross Blood Center in Semarang City. Blood supply management consists of blood collection and receiving blood requests. Our study used secondary data from a blood donor and blood request reports from January to December 2018 and January 2021 to December 2021. Statistical analysis was done by comparing 2018 and 2021 data with an independent t-test. Our findings showed that implementing COVID-19 regulations severely impacted outdoor blood collection in Semarang City. The impact spanned the period of May to August 2021, especially in July 2021 (emergency enforcement of limitation on community activities) when the blood collection decreased by 68% (1,352 units) from the previous month. The amount of in-house blood collection was also found to have been sustained by the regulation impact because of blood recognition events from May until August 2021. The research also found that there was a significant decrease in outdoor blood donors, blood supplies, and blood demand between 2018 and 2021 (p<0.05). These findings were due to the amount of outdoor blood collection that was heavily dependent on unforeseen external situations such as a pandemic, a timely mitigation strategy was warranted to sustain blood supply.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody determination in a vaccinated and recovered cohort in Austria

Since December 2019 the world has been dealing with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The first SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was made available in Europe at the end of 2020. 202 volunteers from the vicinity of the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt took part in this study;their IgG levels recognizing the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 were determined. The aim was to evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 titer levels of vaccinated, recovered and vaccinated plus recovered persons. We could show that there is a significant difference in the antibody levels of vaccinated, vaccinated plus recovered and only recovered probands. Additionally, the highest antibody levels were found in triple vaccinated persons. Furthermore, the Moderna vaccine seems to have a higher immune response.Copyright © 2022

High seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the capital of Chad

Background. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chad has had 7,417 confirmed cases and 193 deaths, one of the lowest in Africa. Objective. This study assessed SARS-CoV-2 immunity in N'Djamena. Methods. In August-October 2021, eleven N'Djamena hospitals col-lected outpatient data and samples. IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were identified using ELISA. "Bambino Gesu" Laboratory, Rome, Italy, performed external quality control with chemiluminescence assay. Results. 25-34-year-old (35.2%) made up the largest age group at 31.9+/-12.6 years. 56.4% were women, 1.3 women/men. The 7th district had 22.5% and the 1st 22.3%. Housewives and students dominated. Overall seroprevalence was 69.5% (95% CI: 67.7-71.3), females 68.2% (65.8-70.5) and males 71.2% (68.6-73.8). >44-year-old had 73.9% seroprevalence. Under-15s were 57.4% positive. Housewives (70.9%), civil servants (71.5%), and health workers (9.7%) had the highest antibody positivity. N'Djamena's 9th district had 73.1% optimism and the 3rd district had 52.5%. Seroprevalences were highest at Good Samaritan Hospital (75.4%) and National General Referral Hospital (74.7%). Conclusion. Our findings indicate a high circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in N'Djamena, despite low mortality and morbidity after the first two COVID-19 pandemic waves. This high seroprevalence must be considered in Chad's vaccine policy.Copyright © 2022 The Authors and PAGEPRESS PUBLICATIONS.

Disasters and the blood community (including COVID-19)

This chapter is an attempt to explain and link the reader to the resources available to guide the development of an organization wide disaster preparedness process. Issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic are also discussed. National governmental authorities generally have agencies responsible for the coordination of disaster planning and response in their respective countries. Important exemplars of international sources of information and training on disaster planning and emergency operations are provided. The blood community is highly regulated worldwide and even slight changes to processes and procedures can have far-reaching effects for facilities and patients, especially during an emergency. Blood collection and transfusion facilities must address regulatory impacts as part of their disaster planning. Vital records must be secured and maintained. These documents include records of donors, donations, manufacturing, testing, quality assurance, product disposition, as well as transfusion records. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The management of blood donation and donor: Review

Blood donation is a major area of interest within the field of health care. Moreover, Coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted various aspects of life, Blood donation is still necessary for human life. The optimization of the management of blood donation will ensure sustainable and secure blood supply to save patients. The purpose of this article is threefold: i) to provide an intelligent generic taxonomy to the literature on BDM with regard to relevant real-life problems;ii) to emphasize the specific characteristics of donors and blood donation;iii) to propose the best promotion activities of blood collection. We conduct a systematic review of studies addressing differents problems in order to determine the efficacy of taxonomy and to get insights for potential directions and opportunities for future research about blood donation promotion and management.

Minimally invasive capillary blood sampling methods.

INTRODUCTION: Whole blood samples, including arterial, venous, and capillary blood, are regularly used for disease diagnosis and monitoring. The global Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a more resilient screening capacity. Minimally invasive sampling techniques, such as capillary blood sampling, are routinely used for point of care testing in the home healthcare setting and clinical settings such as the Intensive Care Unit with less pain and wounding than conventional venepuncture. AREAS COVERED: In this manuscript, we aim to provide a overview of state-of-the-art of techniques for obtaining samples of capillary blood. We first review both established and novel methods for releasing blood from capillaries in the skin. Next, we provide a comparison of different capillary blood sampling methods based on their mechanism, testing site, puncture size, cost, wound geometry, healing, and perceptions of pain. Finally, we overview established and new methods for enhancing capillary blood collection. EXPERT OPINION: We expect that microneedles will prove to be a preferred option for paediatric blood collection. The ability of microneedles to collect a capillary blood sample without pain will improve paediatric healthcare outcomes. Jet injection may prove to be a useful method for facilitating both blood collection and drug delivery.

The management of blood donation and donor: Review

Blood donation is a major area of interest within the field of health care. Moreover, Coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted various aspects of life, Blood donation is still necessary for human life. The optimization of the management of blood donation will ensure sustainable and secure blood supply to save patients. The purpose of this article is threefold: i) to provide an intelligent generic taxonomy to the literature on BDM with regard to relevant real-life problems;ii) to emphasize the specific characteristics of donors and blood donation;iii) to propose the best promotion activities of blood collection. We conduct a systematic review of studies addressing differents problems in order to determine the efficacy of taxonomy and to get insights for potential directions and opportunities for future research about blood donation promotion and management. © 2022 IEEE.

A Novel Dry-Stabilized Whole Blood Microsampling and Protein Extraction Method for Testing of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Titers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a crucial need for rapid, straightforward collection and testing of biological samples. Serological antibody assays can analyze patient blood samples to confirm immune response following mRNA vaccine administration or to verify past exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While blood tests provide vital information for clinical analysis and epidemiology, sample collection is not trivial; this process requires a visit to the doctor's office, a professionally trained phlebotomist to draw several milliliters of blood, processing to yield plasma or serum, and necessitates appropriate cold chain storage to preserve the specimen. A novel whole blood collection kit (truCOLLECT) allows for a lancet-based, decentralized capillary blood collection of metered low volumes and eliminates the need for refrigerated transport and storage through the process of active desiccation. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (total and neutralizing) and nucleocapsid protein antibody titers in plasma samples obtained via venipuncture were compared to antibodies extracted from desiccated whole blood using Adaptive Focused Acoustics (AFA). Paired plasma versus desiccated blood extracts yields Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.98; 95% CI [0.96, 0.99] for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies, 0.97; 95% CI [0.95, 0.99] for neutralizing antibodies, and 0.97; 95% CI [0.94, 0.99] for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antibodies. These data suggest that serology testing using desiccated and stabilized whole blood samples can be a convenient and cost-effective alternative to phlebotomy.

Determination of 25 (OH) D3, Iron, Free Iron Binding Capacity and D-Dimer Levels in Calf Diarrhea in Neonatal Period

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the clinical course of the disease and hematological data, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D), iron (Fe), free iron-binding capacity (UIBC), and D-dimer levels in calves with diarrhea in the neonatal period. Within the scope of the study, 10 healthy calves (group-I) and 30 diarrheal calves in the neonatal period of different races, ages and genders were used. Calves with diarrhea were divided into mild (group-II, n=10), moderate (group-III, n=10) and severe (group-IV, n=10) groups. Blood samples were taken from calves in all groups at once. Hematological analyzes were performed using a veterinary-specific hematology analyzer device. In serum samples, 25 (OH) D3, Fe and UIBC levels were determined with an autoanalyzer, and D-dimer levels were determined with an automatic immunoassay analyzer. In the hematological analysis, an increase was observed in the number of LYMs (lymphocytes) in group-II (5.04±1.3) and III (5.2±3.3) compared to group-I (4.47±1.2), and a decrease was observed in group IV (2.76±0.9) (P<0.05). Fe levels in group-II (59±56), group III (56±52) and group IV (72±63) were found to be decreased compared to group-I (131±66) (P<0.05). It was determined that the 25 (OH) D3 level of group IV (13.4±8.5) was higher than that of group-I (6.12±2.73) (P<0.05). D-dimer levels of group-III (1.15±1.13) and group-IV (0.96±0.88) were found to be higher than group-I (0.10±1.46) (P<0.05).

Bioconvertible IVC filters: safety, efficacy, and bioconversion times in a real-world cohort

Purpose: To examine the outcomes of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who underwent placement of a bioabsorbable inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) for temporary pulmonary embolism (PE) protection Materials and Methods: From 10/1/2020 to 11/31/2021, 17 patients (mean age 71, range 45-92, 58% female) underwent placement of a bioabsorbable IVCF (Sentry, Boston Scientific) at a single academic center. Thirteen of the 17 filters (76.4%) were placed in the inpatient setting, and the remainder were placed outpatient. VTE risk factors included malignancy (70.6%), immobility (5.9%), COVID-19 (5.9%), and unprovoked (7.6%). Prior to IVCF, 11 patients presented with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) alone, two had PE alone, and four were diagnosed both DVT and PE. The contraindication to anticoagulation (AC) was active bleeding in 47.1% of the cohort, upcoming surgery in 41.2%, worsening of DVT on AC in 5.9%. and brain tumor in 5.9%. The pre-implantation infrarenal IVC diameter ranged from 1.6 to 2.6 cm. Technical success (TS), adverse events (AEs), and follow-up IVCF characteristics were recorded. Results: TS was 100%. No AEs occurred during placement. Mean follow-up period was 4.9 months (range 0-12.9). No new PEs were diagnosed after IVCF placement, and no patients required replacement of IVCF. Nine of the 17 patients had follow-up CTs after filter placement, two had follow up radiographs in which the filter state could be assessed, and the remaining six had no imaging evaluating the filter after placement. Asymptomatic IVCF associated non-occlusive thrombosis was seen in 3 patients. The longest amount of time after placement that a Sentry filter was observed to still be in the filter state was 3.9 months, and the shortest time in which imaging showed a filter bio-converted to the open state was 3.1 months. Three patients underwent serial imaging which incidentally demonstrated the timeframe in which the IVCF converted from a filter-state to an open-state. In one patient this conversion occurred between 2.1 and 3.1 months, in another between 1.7 and 3.3 months, and in the last patient between 3.9 and 4.4 months. Conclusion: In VTE patients with either a temporary contraindication to anticoagulation or a transitory high-PE-risk period, bioconvertible IVC filters are a safe and effective option for short-term protection against pulmonary embolism.

Evaluation of independent self-collected blood specimens for COVID-19 antibody detection among the US veteran population.

Feasibility of home blood sample collection methods for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) participants was tested to determine COVID-19 infection or vaccination status. Participants (n = 312) were randomly assigned to self-collect blood specimens using the Neoteryx Mitra Clamshell (n = 136) or Tasso-SST (n = 176) and asked to rate their experience. Mitra tip blood was eluted and Tasso tubes were centrifuged. All samples were stored at -80 °C until tested with InBios SCoV-2 Detect™ IgG ELISA, BioRad Platelia SARS-CoV-2 Total Ab Assay, Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG and AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assays. Participants rated both devices equally. The Abbott assay had the highest sensitivity (87% Mitra, 98% Tasso-SST) for detecting known COVID infection and/or vaccination. The InBios assay with Tasso-SST had the best sensitivity (97%) and specificity (80%) for detecting known COVID-19 infection and/or vaccination. Veterans successfully collected their own specimens with no strong preference for either device.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria - A multi-facility study of 34 tertiary hospitals.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected blood supplies globally. Mobile blood drive campaigns halted, and voluntary blood donations reduced, challenging available blood supplies. Furthermore, fears of virus transmission led to deferrals of elective surgeries and non-urgent clinical procedures with noticeable declines in blood donations and transfusions. Aims: We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of blood donations and transfusions across the country by blood product type across various hospital departments. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood services in 34 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, comparing January to July 2019 (pre-COVID-19) to January to July 2020 (peri-COVID-19). Data were collected from the country's web-based software District Health Information System, Version 2 (DHIS2). Results: A 17.1% decline in numbers of blood donations was observed over the study period, especially in April 2020 (44.3%), a 21.7% decline in numbers of blood transfusions, especially in April 2020 (44.3%). The largest declines in transfusion were noted in surgery department for fresh frozen plasma (80.1%) [p = 0.012] and accident and emergency department transfusion of platelets (78.3%) [p = 0.005]. The least decline of statistical significance was observed in internal medicine transfusions of whole blood (19.6%) [p = 0.011]. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the numbers of blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria. Strengthening blood services to provide various blood components and secure safe blood supplies during public health emergencies is therefore critical.

Using automation to manage donor engagement and fine-tune supply and demand during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 disrupted blood center operations starting March 2020 and continues to affect donor presentation and blood availability today. The industry mobilized significant resources to collect COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) to treat COVID-19 patients. At the same time, blood centers continued to collect platelets, plasma, and red blood cells (RBCs) to meet the needs of non-COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this study was to quantify how automation was used to fine-tune supply and demand and increase donor engagement during the first year of the pandemic. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study of blood collection and donor presentation at a mid-sized US blood center. Data was evaluated from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. Parameters evaluated included donor presentation, platelets per procedure, concurrent RBC and plasma collections per procedure, operator compliance, total donor appointment count, and donor frequency. RESULTS: With the cancelation of mobile blood drives, fixed sites increased total apheresis procedures by 37% and increased turns per bed by 46% whereas less products were collected per donor. By collecting only what was needed, platelet expiration rate decreased from 6.8% (pre-pandemic) to less than 4%. Donor engagement as measured by donor frequency increased from 1.6 in January 2020 to 1.8 in March 2021. CONCLUSIONS: Using technological advances such as automated blood collection and information systems, the blood center improved donor engagement and avoided collecting a surplus of any one type of blood product over the course of the pandemic.

Blood Collection Agency Messaging to Donors and the Public in Canada and Australia during the Early Days of COVID-19

COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to health systems around the world, including blood collection agencies (BCAs). Many countries, such as Canada and Australia, that rely on non-remunerated voluntary donors saw an initial drop in donors in the early days of the pandemic followed by a return to sufficient levels of the blood supply. BCA messaging plays a key role in communicating the needs of the blood operator, promoting and encouraging donation, educating, and connecting with the public and donors. This paper is an interpretive discourse analysis of BCA messaging in Canada and Australia from March 1-July 31, 2020 to understand how BCAs constructed donation to encourage donation during this period and what this can tell us about public trust and blood operators. Drawing on multiple sources of online content and print media, our analysis identified four dominant messages during the study period: 1) blood donation is safe;2) blood donation is designated an essential activity;3) blood is needed;and 4) blood donation is a response to the pandemic. In Canada and Australia, our analysis suggests that: 1) in a time of uncertainty, donors and some publics trusted the BCA to be an organization with expertise to ensure that donation is safe, essential, and able to meet patient needs;and 2) BCAs demonstrated their trustworthiness by aligning their messaging with public health and scientific experts. For BCAs, our analysis supports donor communications that are transparent and responsive to public concerns and the local context to support public trust. Beyond BCAs, health organizations and leaders cannot underestimate the importance of building and maintaining public trust as countries continue to struggle with containment of the virus and encourage vaccine uptake. © Haw, Thorpe and Holloway.

The impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the Transfusion Medicine Unit of a Northern Italy Hospital and Cancer Centre.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The first wave of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) dramatically affected the Transfusion Medicine Unit of the Azienda Unità Sanitari Locale - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (AUSL-IRCCS) di Reggio Emilia, which faced a total rearrangement of the procedures for donors and patients. This study aims to assess the major implications of COVID-19 on our department, focusing on the blood transfusion chain and therapies, in order to support transfusion specialists in seeking efficient ways to face similar future emergencies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study compares our Transfusion Medicine Unit data collected between February and May 2020 with the same period in 2017-2019. Data on red blood cells and platelets donations, transfusions and clinical procedures were collected as aggregates from our internal electronic database. RESULTS: During the lockdown, donor centres were re-organized to reduce the risk of contagion and avoid unnecessary blood collection. Blood donations were re-scheduled to meet the decrease in elective surgery; consequently, plateletapheresis was implemented to supply the reduction of buffycoat-derived platelets. Transfusions significantly decreased together with orthopaedic and vascular surgery, while they were only marginally diminished for both cancer and onco-haematological patients. Reduced procedures for inpatients and outpatients were matched by remote medicine, addressing the need of a constant healthcare support for patients with chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The described measures were adopted to avoid excessive blood collection and expiration, guarantee the safety of our ward (for both patients and staff) and supply the necessary transfusion therapies. These measures may support the development of appropriate risk management plans and safety procedures for other hospitals and transfusion services that have to face similar events.

Research on Intelligent Fingertip Blood Collection Robot

At present, fingertip blood sampling is mainly done manually by medical workers. Under the COVID-19 epidemic, medical workers are easily infected, in addition, the finger needs to be squeezed to increase the amount of bleeding during the blood collection process, which will cause the cell fluid to enter the blood and cause the test results to be inaccurate. This paper presents a kind of design about an intelligent fingertip blood sampling robot. We get the finger vein image through the near-infrared imaging module, and select the vein intersection area as the blood collection point after image segmentation, which will be helpful in improving the amount of bleeding. We use the laser to guide the end of the blood collection robot puncture needle and blood collection vessels to achieve rapid and accurate blood puncture and blood collection operation. The experimental results show that the maximum deviation between the blood sampling needle and the blood sampling point does not exceed 0.15mm and the longest time from fingertip blood sampling point selection to guide the blood sampling needle to the blood sampling point is less than 9.8 seconds. © 2021 ACM.

Blood donation in times of crisis: Early insight into the impact of COVID-19 on blood donors and their motivation to donate across European countries.

BACKGROUND: In this survey, we aimed to provide early insight into the impact of COVID-19 on blood donors and their motivation to donate during the crisis. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We asked representative samples in 7 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK) about their blood donation activity and motivation to donate using an online survey. We analysed donor turnout during the COVID-19 period descriptively and using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 7122 people that responded to the survey, 1205 (16·9%) blood donors were identified, with 33·8% donating during the first 4-5 months of the COVID-19 period. We observed that around half of donors donated less than normal. The vast majority of donors that did donate made a special effort to do so in response to COVID-19. The majority of donors were also not aware of their blood being tested for COVID-19 antibodies. Although the perceived risk of infection among all respondents whilst donating blood was relatively low, those who anticipated a high risk of infection were much less likely to donate (OR = 0·540; P-value = 0·006). Furthermore, those that were adherent to COVID guidelines were also less likely to donate (OR = 0·583; P-value = 0·000). DISCUSSION: We suggest that blood collection services consider specialist campaigns that focus on the altruistic motivation of donors during the crisis and that they continue to communicate the additional safety measures in place with the aim of reducing the fear of infection whilst donating blood.

Lessons learned in the collection of convalescent plasma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The lack of definitive treatment or preventative options for COVID-19 led many clinicians early on to consider convalescent plasma (CCP) as potentially therapeutic. Regulators, blood centres and hospitals worldwide worked quickly to get CCP to the bedside. Although response was admirable, several areas have been identified to help improve future pandemic management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multidisciplinary, multinational subgroup from the ISBT Working Group on COVID-19 was tasked with drafting a manuscript that describes the lessons learned pertaining to procurement and administration of CCP, derived from a comprehensive questionnaire within the subgroup. RESULTS: While each country's responses and preparedness for the pandemic varied, there were shared challenges, spanning supply chain disruptions, staffing, impact of social distancing on the collection of regular blood and CCP products, and the availability of screening and confirmatory SARS-CoV-2 testing for donors and patients. The lack of a general framework to organize data gathering across clinical trials and the desire to provide a potentially life-saving therapeutic through compassionate use hampered the collection of much-needed safety and outcome data worldwide. Communication across all stakeholders was identified as being central to reducing confusion. CONCLUSION: The need for flexibility and adaptability remains paramount when dealing with a pandemic. As the world approaches the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic with rising rates worldwide and over 115 million cases and 2·55 million deaths, respectively, it is important to reflect on how to better prepare for future pandemics as we continue to combat the current one.

Blood supply sufficiency and safety management in Iran during the COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 first appeared in Iran on 19 February 2020, and then spread rapidly over the country. In this article, we review the action plan of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization with respect to this disease. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We collected data on blood donations and RBC inventory for the first 8 weeks of the outbreak. We also evaluated the trend of blood donations and RBC inventory and compared them with the data of the past year. We include a summary of actions taken by the National Committee on Management of COVID-19 outbreak. RESULTS: Blood donations decreased from 33 275 to 23 465 units during the first 2 weeks of the outbreak with a corresponding decrease in the RBC inventory. But after that, donations gradually increased from 23 465 to 29 665 units. RBC inventory levels improved at the same time. Then, the Iranian New Year's holiday resulted in another downward trend. After the holiday, blood donations revived, along with the RBC inventory. DISCUSSION: Although it appears that this virus cannot be transmitted through transfusion, changes in lifestyle had a significant impact on reducing blood supply. Following implemented measures, we saw an upward trend in blood donations and an adequate supply of RBC units in blood centres, helped by a reduction in demand by hospitals. Blood centres need to be more prepared to manage future viral disasters, especially in case of transfusion-transmissible infections.