• Joan Garcia-Lopez, Joaquin Delgadillo, Anna Vilarrodona, Sergi Querol, Joan Ovejo, Ruth Coll, Anna Millan, Alejandro Madrigal, Gloria Soria, Francisco Vidal, Joaquim Vives, María J Herrero, Isabel Lopez, Silvia Sauleda, Enric Contreras, Joan Ramon Grifols, Rosa Guasch, Elisabet Tahull, Lluís Puig, Aurora Masip, Enric Argelagués, and Eduardo Muñiz-Diaz.
• Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST), Barcelona, Spain.
• Blood Transfus. 2021 Mar 1; 19 (2): 158-167.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is placing blood and tissue establishments under unprecedented stress, putting its capacity to provide the adequate care needed at risk. Here we reflect on how our integrated organisational model has faced the first impact of the pandemic and describe what challenges, opportunities and lessons have emerged.Materials And MethodsThe organisational model of the Catalan Blood and Tissue Bank (Banc de Sang i Teixits, BST) is described. The new scenario was managed by following international recommendations and considering the pandemic in a context of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), allowing rapid measures to be taken. These aimed to: ensure donor safety, promote proper responses to patients' needs, ensure the health and well-being of personnel, and prepare for future scenarios.ResultsThe BST has adapted its activities to the changes in demand. No shortage of any product or service occurred. Donor acceptance, safety and wellbeing were maintained except for tissue donation, which almost completely stopped. To support the health system, several activities have been promoted: large-scale convalescent plasma (CP) production, clinical trials with CP and mesenchymal stromal cells, massive COVID-19 diagnoses, and participation in co-operative research and publications. Haemovigilance is running smoothly and no adverse effects have been detected among donors or patients.DiscussionSeveral elements have proven to be critical when addressing the pandemic scenario: a) the early creation of a crisis committee in combination with technical recommendations and the recognition of a VUCA scenario; b) identification of the strategies described; c) the integrated donor-to-patient organisational model; d) active Research and Development (R&D); and e) the flexibility of the staff. It is essential to underline the importance of the need for centralised management, effective contingency strategies, and early collaboration with peers.

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