The study reemphasizes the need for cost-effective strategy for thalassemia transfusion practice in developing countries. Red blood cell antigen typing before transfusion and issue of antigen-matched or antigen-negative blood can be made available to alloimmunized multiply transfused patients. Early institution of transfusion therapy after diagnosis is another means of decreasing alloimmunization.

Our study concludes that cord units collected for banking should be obtained by selecting units of larger volumes, of higher TNCs, from female babies with heavy placenta, and from babies delivered via cesarean section.

Objective Because of the rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its wide public health challenges, rapid diagnosis is essential to decrease the spread. Antigen-based rapid detection tests are available; however, insufficient data about their performance are available. Methods The lateral-flow immunochromatographic BIOCREDIT COVID-19 antigen test was evaluated using nasopharyngeal swabs in a viral transport medium from patients with confirmed infection, contacts, and exposed healthcare professionals at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt. Test performance was determined in comparison to the SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Results Three hundred ten specimens from 3 categories—patients with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19, contacts, and exposed healthcare professionals—were included; 188 specimens were RT-PCR-positive, from which 81 were detected by rapid antigen test. Overall sensitivity was 43.1%. Sensitivity was significantly higher in specimens with high viral loads. Conclusion Poor sensitivity of the BIOCREDIT COVID-19 test does not permit its use for diagnosis, and it can only be used in conjunction with RT-PCR for screening.

RHD molecular typing can solve discrepancies during routine testing due to partial and weak D phenotypes for better transfusion outcome.

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