An Overview of the Problems and Changes in Guidelines with a View to the Future of Bone Marrow Transplantation during an Outbreak of COVID-19

Patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) are high-risk during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Viral infections are a common complication in transplanted patients. Since BMT is a definitive line treatment for many hematological malignancies, the BMT unit should provide therapy services during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to studies over the past two years, following the COVID-19 prevention guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) has made it possible to carry out this high-risk treatment. This review article presents the experiences and challenges of BMT centers during the outbreak of COVID-19.

The present study is a review article based on searching in medical-scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, from 2020 to 2021. All articles were evaluated, and 30 articles were selected as the primary sources of study.

Regarding the stability and new strains emergence of coronavirus over the last two years, as well as the importance of BMT as the last-line treatment in some hematological malignancies, COVID-19 prevention is the first pivotal step for immunity of BMT donor and recipient. Training medical service personnel and patients will effectively prevent virus contagiousness and spread. Moreover, regular screening of medical staff can inhibit viral transmission to admitted patients. Stick to home quarantine in patients pre-and post-BMT restricts the risk of COVID-19 contamination.