One of the most prevalent emerging pathogen that has turned into a public health issue in the recent years until now, is the virus that caused COVID-19 pandemic, known as the SARS-CoV-2. How may this virus potentially affect blood donations, and what measures may be taken by the blood bank to ensure the recipients' safety?
According to a published article by Rubin (2022), Blood transfusions typically do not result in the transmission of respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2, and the FDA noted that there have been no examples of this type or any other coronaviruses spreading from donor to recipient anywhere in the globe. To maintain the recipients’ safety, certain conditions are to be followed first before donating blood. It is known that one is only allowed to donate blood if their health is in good condition and have normal temperature. Moreover, the FDA advises patients who have COVID-19 to refrain on giving blood for at least 10 days after their symptoms have fully resolved or, if they never experienced symptoms, for at least 10 days following a positive test result.
Rubin, R. (2022). COVID-19 and Blood Donation. JAMA, 327(7), 615. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.0763