Women may soon be banned or restricted from donating plasma. This is due to an antibody created during pregnancy that can cause a rare but potentially deadly lung condition. If women are banned or even restricted from donating plasma there could be a severe shortage, as women currently donate 41% of the supply (I thought it was actually higher from my own experiences)
A new polymer coating may be able to kill bacteria and viruses. it accomplishes this by creating microscopic "spikes" with polymer, which can then be "painted" onto a surface. As the viruses or bacteria come into contact with the spikes they are burst open. It has yet to be fully determined if this is actually the case or if it is a different chemical-type reaction but it is a promising technology.