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

ABSTRACT

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.