Measures to Maintain a SARS-CoV-2 Negative Inpatient Hematological Unit in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic
covid-19, pandemic (COVID-19), Hematology, preventive measurements, inpatient units, immunodepressed patients
The University Hospital of Salamanca, in Spain, had its first COVID-19 case on March 1st and as of May 11th, we had 1,100 positive cases. Based on the vulnerability of patients with blood cancers, on March 9th, the Hematology Department developed a protocol, amended as the new information was available, to maintain the Hematology Unit as a “free COVID-19 island.” The protocol included symptom-based surveys and screening tests to patients, caregivers, and healthcare personnel to identify early potential positive cases and prevent its spread. Between March 9 and April 28, 32 asymptomatic patients and caregivers were tested and 68 rT-PCR diagnostic assays have been performed with two positive results. A 106 healthcare workers have been tested (208 rT-PCR) and seven of them were positive. In summary, the implementation of preemptive measures after the first case appeared allowed us to be able to provide treatment to our patients.
Almudena Cabero-Martínez, Fermín Sánchez-Guijo, Lucía López-Corral, Estefanía Pérez, Alejandro Avendaño, Mónica Baile, Mónica Cabrero, Ana-Africa Martín, Angela Rodríguez, Balbina Pérez, Felipe Peña-Muñoz, Luz-Gema Román, Danylo Palomino, Lourdes López-Vázquez, María-Belén Vidriales, Marcos González-Diaz, María-Victoria Mateos, María-Dolores Caballero