With the gradual lifting of the obligation to stay home, you may be excited to book an appointment at your hair salon or plan a night out at your favorite restaurant. But there is something even more important that should be on your radar: donating blood.
Blood donations are essential for hospitals, even in the midst of a pandemic. In fact, individual donations are more crucial now than ever. Although almost all companies and industries have felt the effects of the pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures, blood collection agencies have been especially affected.
Seventy-five percent of the blood supply came from community blood collection campaigns, but all have been canceled since March. As it begins to recover to normal, the need for blood for procedures like elective surgeries is rapidly rebounding.
In fact, as people begin to venture outside their homes again, the need for blood becomes even more urgent.
Blood is used for more than just surgery: For example, cancer patients are returning to chemotherapy treatments, but they require donated blood to help them get through it. Additionally, hospitals expect to see more patients who need blood for trauma care after car or bicycle accidents.
In March and April, blood demand fell by approximately 30 percent, but we are now returning to pre-COVID levels. It is really important for people to start donating again so that hospitals have an adequate blood supply to save people's lives.
Is it safe to donate blood in a pandemic?
Even if you are not apprehensive about needles, your drive to be a good Samaritan may pale in comparison to your concerns about infection with the new coronavirus. But blood donation groups across the country are 100% dedicated to ensuring it stays safe.
This is the roundup of the latest donor safety guidelines and what you can do to stay healthy and keep others safe.
Make an appointment
In the past, donation centers were very happy to accommodate a person without an appointment. Now, to maintain adequate social distance and ensure that there is adequate time between donors to disinfect shared surfaces, you will need to reserve in advance.
Before you go, check that you feel healthy
You should only donate if you feel good. Although there have been no reported cases of spread of the coronavirus through a blood transfusion, you could still infect the staff or others around you during your donation.
If you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or gastrointestinal upset like vomiting or diarrhea, stay home and reschedule your appointment.
There are also some other general eligibility requirements to consider. You must weigh a minimum of 50 kilos and be at least 17 years old (or 16 with the consent of the parents), for example.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, some experts have announced changes to some of the other restrictions to expand who can donate:
- If you are a man, you should wait three months (instead of a year) after having sex with another man.
- If you are a woman, you should wait three months (instead of a year) after having sex with a man who has had sex with other men.
- You should wait three months (instead of a year) after getting a tattoo or piercing.
- You have to wait three months (instead of a year) after traveling to a malaria-endemic area.
What if you already passed COVID-19?
If your result is positive and you have had no symptoms for at least 14 days since then, you may be eligible to donate what is called convalescent plasma. People who are fully recovered from COVID-19 can help save lives, as their blood contains antibodies that can help COVID-19 patients fight the disease. Contact a local blood center.
Keep the social distance
Just like you would in a supermarket or pharmacy, try to keep at least 2 meters away from yourself and others, both on the way to the donation center and during the donation. Since the virus is transmitted by respiratory drops, this distance can help you avoid coming into contact with the germs of an infected person (and prevent you from spreading the virus without realizing if you do become infected).
To help you achieve this, all beds, as well as furniture in the waiting and refreshment areas, are separated by at least 2 meters apart.
To put you a little in context, before COVID-19, if we were offered the opportunity to donate blood in a 20-square-meter room, we would take it. Now we will not do it anywhere that is less than 2,000 square meters.
Organizations have also redesigned their approach to mobile collections and, when using buses, have modified the interiors to allow for appropriate social distancing.
Wear a mask
Of course, keeping the 2-meter rule won't be possible when it comes to interacting with staff members preparing to donate, so you should wear a face mask.
Experts recommend that everyone wear a face mask in public places where it is difficult to maintain social distance, to prevent the transmission of the virus, and is a requirement for all donors and staff of blood donation and donation centers. (Staff wear surgical masks, but you can wear a cloth mask.)
Get door temperature control
Since fever is one of the characteristic symptoms of COVID-19, your temperature will be controlled before entering the donation area. If you exceed 37 degrees, you will be rejected. The same rule applies to staff members, who get a temperature check before starting a shift.
You can expect a more complete health exam once you're inside. Blood donors have always been required to undergo a "mini-test," where pulse, blood pressure, and blood hemoglobin levels are measured. But now, the examiner will also ask about COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, and headache or body pain. Any potential donor with these symptoms will be sent home.
Wash your hands
Make sure your hands are clean when you arrive at the donation site, and practice good hand hygiene during your visit, wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or rub your fingers with an alcohol-based disinfectant after touching a shared surface, using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
Make sure to wash your hands after you have finished donating blood and before you get to the refreshment area, as you have been on a high contact surface (the bed).
Donation sites are also doing their part to keep things clean. Everything touched by staff or a donor is disinfected between uses. Blankets offered to keep donors comfortable while donating are also washed after each use (and since this may limit their availability, donors are encouraged to bring their own).
All donation sites also follow safe practices such as disposing of needles after each use and disinfecting the skin before drawing blood.
Take care of yourself before and after your donation
There is no evidence that you can contract coronavirus from the act of donating blood. People are not at risk of contracting COVID-19 through the blood donation process or by blood transfusion, as respiratory viruses are generally not known to be transmitted by donations or transfusions.
There's also no evidence that donating weakens your immune system.
Still, you need to take steps to take care of yourself before and afterward to stay as healthy as possible. The Red Cross recommends doing the following:
- Sleep at least eight hours the night before your appointment.
- Eat a healthy, balanced meal before donating.
- Stay hydrated by loading non-alcoholic liquids before and after.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects or exercising vigorously afterward.
