What's New - Chronological (September 2021)

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25 September

• UK: Annual SHOT symposium (14-15 July 2021) | Oral and poster abstracts (30 Sept. 2021)
  • 2 oral abstracts
  • 29 poster abstracts
• UK: Brixton cat saved by over £1,000 in donations (24 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Memphis shootings activate US emergency blood reserve (24 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Donate blood at Sonoma Raceway, get a ‘hot lap’ around the track (24 Sept. 2021)

24 September

• Australia: New COVID-19 treatment (GSK's Sotrovimab) showing early success stopping patients from getting severely ill (23 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Therapeutic Goods Administration,part of Dept. of Health, granted provisional approval to GSK its COVID-19 treatment Sotrovimab (27 Aug. 2021)
• Canada: CBS selects Roche Diagnostics as a partner of choice for transmissible blood screening in Canada (23 Sept. 2021)
• India: 2 found with Para Bombay in Nagpur; only 4 in 1 million have this rarest of blood groups (24 Sept. 2021)
• UK (Infected Blood Inquiry - News): AIDS campaign was ‘not seen as a priority’ by Margaret Thatcher (23 Sept. 2021)

23 September

• General news: AABB announces its 2021 award recipients (20 Sept. 2021) | Includes 2 Canadians, Dr. Dana Devine & Dr. Heather Hume
• General news: AABB Annual Meeting announces 'Late-Breaking Oral Abstract Session' highlighting research on blood donor sex, COVID-19, platelets (20 Sept. 2021)
• Canada (Héma-Québec): Multiple videos on [blood donation, plasma donation, stem cell donation, mother's milk donation, sickle cell anemia & more]
• India: Dog blood transfusion training held at Ludhiana vet university (21 Sept. 2021)
• Philippines: After losing daughter, mom worries about son with same illness (22 Sept. 2021)
• UK (Scotland): SNBTS to deploy Biolog-id Smart Storage RFID kits nationwide (22 Sept. 2021)
• UK (Infected Blood Inquiry - News): Tainted blood scandal that killed 2,400 ‘could have been avoided’, former Tory health secretary tells inquiry (21 Sept. 2021)
• USA (Guam): Guam Memorial Hospital staffing stretched thin by COVID-19 (22 Sept. 2021)
• Vietnam: Health Ministry mulls stem cells, plasma for Covid-19 treatment (21 Sept. 2021)
• Oyelese AT, Ogbaro DD, Wakama TT, et al. Socio-economic determinants of prenatal anaemia in rural communities of South-West Nigeria: a preliminary report. Am J Blood Res. 2021 Aug 15;11(4):410-416. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Redjoul R, Le Bouter A, Parinet V, et al. Antibody response after third BNT162b2 dose in recipients of allogeneic HSCT. Lancet Haematol. 2021 Sep 3;8(10):e681–3. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Salim AS, Mwita E, Antwi JS, et al. Living with sickle cell disease: voices from sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet Haematol. 2021 Sep 1:S2352-3026(21)00276-3. Epub ahead of print. (Free with registration)
• The Lancet Haematology. Haematology's role on the path to health for all Africans. (Editorial) Lancet Haematol. 2021 Sep 1:S2352-3026(21)00277-5. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text)

20 September

• Germany: Wingcopter drones fly blood samples (19 Sept. 2021)
• Guinea: Nation declares end of Marburg virus outbreak (16 Sept. 2021)
• Goel R, Bloch EM, Pirenne F, et al.; ISBT COVID-19 Working Group. ABO blood group and COVID-19: a review on behalf of the ISBT COVID-19 Working Group. Vox Sang. 2021 Sep;116(8):849-61. Epub 2021 Feb 12. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Romon I, Arroyo JL, Díaz T, et al. High-titre anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma donation after donors' vaccination. (Letter to the editor) Vox Sang. 2021 Sep;116(8):930-1.Epub 2021 Mar 21. (Free full text)
• Wendel S, Land K, Devine DV, et al. Lessons learned in the collection of convalescent plasma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vox Sang. 2021 Sep;116(8):872-9. Epub 2021 Mar 27. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

19 September

• General news: WHO asks for commitments on maternal and newborn health (17 Sept. 2021)
• Gibralter: Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) uses cell saver machine successfully during surgery for first time (18 Sept. 2021)
• Hong Kong: Donate blood during public holidays: Red Cross (18 Sept. 2021)
• Tanzania: Muhimbili National Hospital in modernized blood cell exchange (18 Sept. 2021)
• UK: End the discriminatory ban on African blood donors (17 Sept. 2021)
• UK: Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Blood Transfusion Society (13-15 Sept. 2021, Virtual Event) | Transfus Med.Sept 2021;31(S1) - Free full text
  • Award lectures (n=3)
  • Oral sessions (n=6)
  • Poster sessions (n=80)
  • Author index
• Oster HS, Crouch S, Smith A, et al. A predictive algorithm using clinical and laboratory parameters may assist in ruling out and in diagnosing MDS. Blood Adv. 2021 Aug 24;5(16):3066-75. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

17 September

• General news: WHO's World Patient Safety Day Goals 2021 promote safe maternal and newborn practices (16 Sept. 2021)
• General news: Convalescent plasma doesn’t help severely ill COVID-19 patients, Canadian study shows (16 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Bégin P, Callum J, Jamula E, et al.; CONCOR-1 Study Group, Arnold DM. Convalescent plasma for hospitalized patients with COVID-19: an open-label, randomized controlled trial. Nat Med. 2021 Sep 9. Epub ahead of print. (Open access) | PubMed abstract
• General news: COVID-19 may trigger CAD in children (10 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Zama D, Pancaldi L, Baccelli F, et al. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in children with COVID-19. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Sep 7:e29330. Epub ahead of print. (Free access)
• India: Complaints against private hospitals for dengue treatment (13 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Innovative and rare blood transfusion (only the 7th in the world) saves life of gorilla at Kansas City Zoo (13 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Blood centers launch nation's first emergency blood reserve (10 Sept. 2021)
• Della Corte L, Saccone G, Locci M, et al. Tranexamic acid for treatment of primary postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020 Mar;33(5):869-74. Epub 2018 Sep 10.
• Ernst M, Oeser A, Besiroglu B, et al. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for people with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 13;9:CD013365. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Hamm RF, Perelman S, Wang EY, et al. Single-unit vs multiple-unit transfusion in hemodynamically stable postpartum anemia: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Jan;224(1):84.e1-84.e7. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
• Hancock A, Weeks AD, Furber C,et al. The recognition of excessive blood loss at childbirth (REACT) study: a two-phase exploratory, sequential mixed methods inquiry using focus groups, interviews and a pilot, randomised crossover study. BJOG. 2021 May 9. Epub ahead of print. (Open access) | PubMed abstract
• Harvey M, Leary A. Do advanced clinical practitioners have the theoretical knowledge to authorise blood components for transfusion? A cross sectional survey Study. J Clin Nurs. 2021 Oct;30(19-20):2968-77. Epub 2021 Jul 30.
• Padilla-Garrido N, Fernández-Herrera MD, Aguado-Correa F, Rabadán-Martín I. Motivators, barriers and communication channels for blood donation in relation to students at a university in Spain. Transfus Apher Sci. 2021 Sep 4:103270. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Routray SS, Behera R, Mallick B, et al. The spectrum of hemolytic disease of the newborn: evaluating the etiology of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia among neonates pertinent to immunohematological workup. Cureus. 2021 Aug 6;13(8):e16940. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

16 September

• General news: World Marrow Donor Day (18 Sept. 2021) | World Marrow Donor Association
• General news: Study: Moderna COVID-19 immunity lasts 6 months (14 Sept. 2021)
• General news: How effective are COVID-19 vaccines against mild and severe disease? (14 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Thompson MG, Stenehjem E, Grannis S, et al. Effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines in ambulatory and inpatient care settings. N Engl J Med. 2021 Sep 8. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• General news: Plenty of evidence for recombination in SARS-CoV-2 (2 Sept. 2021)
• General news: Maintaining platelet safety and inventory AABB News - Complementary issue for non-members (Sept. 2021)
• General news: Gut microbiome may help or hinder defenses against SARS-CoV-2 (31 Aug. 2021)
• Iceland: Iceland to end indefinite donor deferral of gay, bisexual men replaced by 4-month deferral for all donors who engaged in “risky sex" (via AABB, 14 Sept. 2021)
• UK (NHSBT): Schools are now teaching young people how to donate and save lives (7 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • The science of blood donation: KS3 and KS4 lesson plan (ages 11-16)
• USA: 1 in every 500 US residents have died of Covid-19 (16 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Soldiers have 3 months to get COVID vaccine or face discharge, with few waiver options (14 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Biden expands vaccine requirements in health care settings (AABB, 10 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Blood donor survey suggests that 83% of Americans have COVID-19 antibodies (AABB, 10 Sept. 2021)
• Keehner J, Horton LE, Binkin NJ, et al. Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a highly vaccinated health system workforce. (Letter to the editor) N Engl J Med. 2021 Sep 1. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text)

15 September

• General news: Blood samples, predictive analytics determine COVID-19 outcomes (9 Sept. 2021)
• India: Dengue surge: overuse of platelets will hurt, say docs (14 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Children make up more than a quarter of the weekly US Covid-19 cases, pediatricians' group says (8 Sept. 2021) 

14 September

• General news: New data show organ transplants fell by 31% worldwide during COVID-19 pandemic (8 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Aubert O, Yoo D, Zielinski D, et al. COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide organ transplantation: a population-based study. Lancet Public Health. 2021 Aug 30:S2468-2667(21)00200-0. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Australia: Blacktown City Council employee marks milestone 100th blood donation (8 Sept. 2021)
• Borneo: Govt depts to provide needs of thalassaemia patients (9 Sept. 2021)
• India: Men have higher antibodies post-vaccination: King George’s Medical University's study (8 Sept. 2021)
• Namibia: 'New normal' disrupts blood supply due to COVID-19 (9 Sept. 2021)
• UK: Cambridge referral centre to offer open-heart surgery in dogs and start its own blood transfusion service (8 Sept. 2021)
• USA: Pittsburgh Zoo's new baby elephant develops serious health issues, receives a plasma transfusion (9 Sept. 2021)
• Seifner A, Fox AW. Why does the precautionary principle suffice for blood regulation? Pharmaceut Med. 2021 Sep 7:1–6. 0-0. Epub ahead of print. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

13 September

• General news (WHO publication): Regional desk review of haemoglobinopathies with an emphasis on thalassaemia and accessibility and availability of safe blood and blood products as per these patients’ requirement in South-East Asia under universal health coverage (7 Sept. 2021)
• General news: Priorities in haematological care in sub-Saharan Africa from Lancet Haematol (7 articles with full free text requiring registration)
• India: Prisoners’ organs remain taboo despite Kerala HC ruling (5 Sept. 2021)
• India: Maha: 8-month-old girl infected by HIV after receiving blood; probe ordered (2 Sept. 2021)
• USA: African-American director for the Armed Services Blood Program, Roland Fahie has retired after 41 years serving in the U.S. Navy (7 Sept. 2021)
• Daniels DE, Ferguson DCJ, Griffiths RE, et al. Reproducible immortalization of erythroblasts from multiple stem cell sources provides approach for sustainable RBC therapeutics. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2021 Jun 12;22:26-39. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Lv T, Xu X, Song J, et al. Use of donor-specific red blood cell transfusions for patients undergoing liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr. 2021 Aug;10(4):486-97. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract | Extract: Since January 1, 2015, all Chinese hospitals have stopped using organs from executed prisoners/
• Saba N, Nasir JA, Waheed U, et al. Seroprevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections among voluntary and replacement blood donors at the Peshawar Regional Blood Centre, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. J Lab Physicians. 2021 Jun;13(2):162-8. Epub 2021 May 26. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

5 September

• UK: Stem cell transplant for Bridgnorth boy with rare condition (3 Sept. 2021)
• UK (Scotland): Great-granddaughter of one of the first ever blood transfusion recipients (1886) in donation’ plea (3 Sept. 2021)
• Rozema J, van Roon EN, Kibbelaar RE, Vet al; on behalf of the HemoBase Population Registry Consortium. Patterns of transfusion burden in an unselected population of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes: A population-based study. Transfusion. 2021 Sep 3. Epub ahead of print. (Open access) | PubMed abstract
• Tonino RPB, Wilson M, Zwaginga JJ, Schipperus MR. Prevalence of iron deficiency and red blood cell transfusions in surgical patients. Vox Sang. 2021 Aug 24.Epub ahead of print. (Open access) | PubMed abstract

4 September

• General news: What the history of blood transfusion reveals about risk (1 Sept. 2021) | Every medical intervention - even one with a centuries-long history - brings dangers, some of which become clear only later.
• Jones JM, Stone M, Sulaeman H, et al. Estimated US infection- and vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence based on blood donations, July 2020-May 2021. JAMA. Epub 2 Sept. 2021. (Free full text)
• Yokoyama A, Sakamoto Y, Jo T, et al. Pulmonary disease as a risk factor for transfusion-related acute lung injury. ERJ Open Res. 2021 Aug 31;7(3):00039-2021.
• Yoon U, Lai M, Nguyen T, Elia E. Perioperative viscoelastic assay use for monitoring coagulation among US liver transplantation centers. Transplant Proc. 2021 Aug 25:S0041-1345(21)00507-8. Epub ahead of print.

3 September

• General news: CRISPR-engineered cells release drug in response to inflammation when implanted into mice (2 Sept. 2021) | Related:
  • Choi Y-R, Collins KH, Springer LE, et al. A genome-engineered bioartificial implant for autoregulated anticytokine drug delivery. Sci Adv. 2021 Sep1;7(32). (Free full text)
• General news: WHO monitoring new coronavirus variant named Mu> (1 Sept. 2021)
• General news: Pfizer, Merck launch new trials of oral COVID-19 drugs (1 Sept. 2021)
• General news (USA): NIH launches study of extra COVID-19 vaccine dose in people with autoimmune disease (27 Aug. 2021)
• USA: Govt to $3 billion in COVID-19 vaccine supply chain -White House official (2 Sept. 2021)
• Industry news (Disc Medicine): Blood disorder biotech gets $90M to bring two drugs into Phase 2 (2 Sept. 2021)
• Ahmed Y, Khandelwal A, Walker L. Cold agglutinin disease and COVID-19 requiring therapeutic plasma exchange. BMJ Case Rep. 2021 Jul 26;14(7):e244227. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Leeies M, Gershengorn HB, Charbonney E, et al. Epidemiology of intravenous immune globulin in septic shock: a retrospective cohort analysis of the Premier Healthcare Database. Can J Anaesth. 2021 Aug 10. English. Epub ahead of print.
• Schubert P, Chen Z, Bhakta V, et al. Cold-stored leukoreduced whole blood: Extending the time between donation and filtration has minimal impact on in vitro quality. Transfusion. 2021 Jul;61 Suppl 1:S131-S143. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Wilson K, Sher G, Philpott J. Preparing for the next pandemic by creating Canadian Immunization Services. CMAJ. 2021 Jul 19;193(28):E1092-E1093. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

2 September

• USA: Daily COVID-19 cases up 1,042% from 2021 low: 11 CDC stats to know (20 Aug. 2021)
• USA: (Book on HIV): Institute of Medicine Committee to Study HIV Transmission Through Blood and Blood Products; Leveton LB, Sox HC Jr., Stoto MA, editors. HIV and the blood supply: an analysis of crisis decisionmaking. Washington DC: National Academies Press; 1995. (349 pp. pdf)
• Agha A, Ajmal F, Khurshid A, et al. Prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in three HIV-affected districts in Sindh, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2021 Aug;71(Suppl 4)(8):S11-S15. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Baker L, Park L, Gilbert R, et al. Intraoperative red blood cell transfusion decision-making: a systematic review of guidelines. Ann Surg. 2021 Jul 1;274(1):86-96. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Goldman M. How do I think about blood donor eligibility criteria for medical conditions? Transfusion. 2021 Jul 21. Epub ahead of print.
• Lee BE, Sikora C, Faulder D, et al. Early warning and rapid public health response to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCF) by monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA in LTCF site-specific sewage samples and assessment of antibodies response in this population: prospective study protocol. BMJ Open. 2021 Aug 20;11(8):e052282. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• O'Brien SF, Drews SJ, Yi QL,et al. Risk of transfusion-transmitted Babesia microti in Canada. Transfusion. 2021 Jul 17. Epub ahead of print.
• Peddi NC, Avanthika C, Vuppalapati S, et al. A review of cordocentesis: percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling. Cureus. 2021 Jul 16;13(7):e16423. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract

1 September

• General news: Johnson & Johnson’s HIV vaccine fails first efficacy trial (31 Aug. 2021)
• General news: Roctavian’s benefits sustained for up to 5 years in trial patients (30 Aug. 2021) | Related:
  • Pasi KJ, Laffan M, Rangarajan S, et al. Persistence of haemostatic response following gene therapy with valoctocogene roxaparvovec in severe haemophilia A. Haemophilia. 2021 Aug 11. Epub ahead of print. (Open access) | PubMed abstract
• Canada: Poorer neighbourhoods and racialized communities continue to lag behind in vaccine coverage: latest CBS results (10 Aug. 2021)
• Canada (CBS): Professional education events (Sept. 2021)
• Resource library (Canada - CBS): FAQ: Information for health professionals on safety of transfused blood collected from COVID-19-vaccinated donors
• Bahr TM, Shakib JH, Stipelman CH, et al. Improving the bilirubin management program in the newborn nursery: background, aims, and protocol. Neonatology. 2020;117(3):358-64. Epub 2020 Feb 7.
• Chung H, He S, Nasreen S, et al.; Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) Provincial Collaborative Network (PCN) Investigators. Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 covid-19 vaccines against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe covid-19 outcomes in Ontario, Canada: test negative design study. BMJ. 2021 Aug 20;374:n1943. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Peng HT, Rhind SG, Devine D, Jenkins C, Beckett A. Ex vivo hemostatic and immuno-inflammatory profiles of freeze-dried plasma. Transfusion. 2021 Jul;61 Suppl 1:S119-S130. (Free full text) | PubMed abstract
• Seyhanli A, Ozkan YC, Bengi G, et al. Evaluation of using fresh frozen plasma for patients with cirrhosis at a tertiary healthcare center in Turkey: Strict transfusion policies are essential. Transfus Apher Sci. 2021 Aug 26:103247. Epub ahead of print.