Sécurité Transfusionnelle Infectieuse Pendant la Pandémie à COVID-19 : Évaluation de Quelques Marqueurs Sérologiques au Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Yaoundé, Cameroun: Infectious Transfusion Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evaluation of Selected Serological Markers at the Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Objective: Updating data on the prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections in the context of a coronavirus pandemic is very important for transfusion safety in our environment. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from April 05 to May 02, 2021 at the Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Yaoundé. Blood donors were included consecutively after a medical interview and screened for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and Treponema pallidum infections. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23.0, with significance threshold p<0.05. . Results: A total of 32/232 donors (13.8%) had at least one transfusion-transmissible infection. The prevalences were 7.8%, 5.6%, 0.9% and 0.9% respectively for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus and Treponema pallidum. Binary logistic regression for Human Immunodeficiency Virus showed that male sex and blood group AB were significantly associated with this infection. No association was found for other infections. Conclusion: In the difficult context of the coronavirus pandemic, the cumulative prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections remained relatively high. Good medical donor selection remains the key to transfusion safety.