Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young professionals in blood banks and transfusion services: A global cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about changes to daily life as measures to contain the spread of the virus increased across the world. The aim of this survey was to assess the psychological impact of the pandemic on young professionals (YPs) in transfusion medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed electronically to ISBT members inviting YPs (≤40 years) to participate. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-nine YPs completed the survey, including 107 clinicians/physicians and/or nurses. Almost half of the YPs (52.5%) indicated increased stress levels and 15.4% indicated symptoms of depression. YPs highlighted the loss of social engagement (59.1%) and increased pressure from information seen on media (35.5%) as factors negatively impacting their psychological wellbeing. Further, 20.8% expressed increased economic stress resulting from concerns about job security. Almost half of the YPs indicated that their organization provided moderate/occasional holistic support to them and their families. Sixty percent and 74.4% of YPs reported increased workload and staff absence due to COVID-19 infection, respectively. Only half of clinicians/physicians and/or nurses indicated that they often had sufficient personal protective equipment. The majority of these (76.6%) had family/household members living with them, and 61% indicated that they were significantly worried about infecting them because of the nature of their work. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 had a major impact on the well-being of YPs working in transfusion medicine. Measures are required to ensure that YPs are protected and mentally supported while undertaking their duties in current and future pandemics.

RHD genotyping of serologic RhD-negative blood donors in a hospital-based blood donor center.

BACKGROUND: Serologic RhD-negative blood donors are tested by a method known to detect weak D antigen expression. Serology does not detect all red blood cells with RhD expression and RHD genotyping has been used to identify variant RHD alleles, which may lead to some RhD expression. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of RHD variant alleles in serologic RhD-negative blood donors at a hospital-based donor center in Los Angeles. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: RHD genotyping of serologic RhD-negative blood donors over a 20-month period was performed using the Immucor RHD BeadChip assay. DNA sequencing was performed when the RHD BeadChip assay failed to assign a genotype. For RHD variants known or suspected to result in RhD expression, recipients of previous blood donations were investigated for alloimmunization. RESULTS: RHD genotyping was performed in 1174 RhD-negative blood donors, and 1122 were genotyped for RHCE variants. Eleven donors (0.94%) harbored mutations predicted to yield RhD expression. The predicted phenotypes were, in decreasing frequency, DEL, partial, and weak D phenotypes. Anti-D was not detected in 16 patients who had received blood from these donors after an average follow up of 182 days. CONCLUSION: Genotyping can be used to identify donors with the potential to sensitize RhD-negative recipients. In this limited study, 0.94% of serologic RhD-negative blood donors were found to have variant RHD alleles that might cause alloimmunization in RhD-negative recipients. To our knowledge, a study of this nature has not been reported in the United States.

Three missense mutations found in the KEL gene lead to K(mod) or K0 red blood cell phenotypes.

BACKGROUND: The KEL gene is highly polymorphic. It presents two major alleles, KEL1(K) and KEL2(k), but a variety of mutations give rise to weakened (K(mod) phenotype) or lack (K0 phenotype) of Kell antigen expression. Recently, the use of advanced DNA-based techniques has greatly increased our understanding of the Kell blood group system. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Three blood samples that had shown discordant results between the serologic and molecular typing for k were investigated by DNA sequencing. Two of these samples were also subjected to studies of adsorption and elution. RESULTS: After sequencing the whole KEL gene, we found three new missense mutations: c.455A>G (p.Tyr152Cys) at Exon 5, c.2111A>C (p.Pro704His) at Exon 19, and c.1726G>C (p.Gly576Arg) at Exon 16. So far, no known clinical implications are associated with these mutations. Further investigation by adsorption and elution methods has defined that c.455A>G and c.1726G>C resulted in K0 phenotype, while c.2111A>C encoded a K(mod) phenotype. CONCLUSION: Molecular investigation is an important complement to routine serologic analyses of Kell antigens. Discrepancies between genotype and phenotype may reveal the presence of K(mod) or K0 phenotypes. Our description of three new KEL alleles suggests a role for a wider diagnostic approach to typing of the Kell system.