Journal Article

The challenge of COVID-19 and hematopoietic cell transplantation; EBMT recommendations for management of hematopoietic cell transplant recipients, their donors, and patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy

Dolstra Harry, Yakoub-Agha Ibrahim, Verhoeven Bregje, Corbacioglu Selim, Montoto, Silvia, Kröger Nicolaus, Styczynski Jan, Mikulska Malgorzata, Ljungman Per, Mohty Mohamad, Basak, Grzegorz W, Duarte, Rafael, Snowden, John A, Chabannon Christian, Lankester, Arjan C, Peffault de Latour Régis, de la Camara Rafael, Murray, John

2020

Overview

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread over the world causing the disease by WHO called COVID-19. This pandemic poses unprecedented stress on the health care system including programs performing allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and cellular therapy such as with CAR T cells. Risk factors for severe disease include age and predisposing conditions such as cancer. The true impact on stem cell transplant and CAR T-cell recipients in unknown. The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) has therefore developed recommendations for transplant programs and physicians caring for these patients. These guidelines were developed by experts from the Infectious Diseases Working Party and have been endorsed by EBMT’s scientific council and board. This work intends to provide guidelines for transplant centers, management of transplant candidates and recipients, and donor issues until the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Autografts / Cell therapy / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Guidelines / Health care / Health risks / Infectious diseases / Lymphocytes / Lymphocytes T / Pandemics / Patients / Physicians / Public health / Risk analysis / Risk factors / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Stem cell transplantation / Stem cells / Transplantation / Transplants & implants / Viral diseases