Recovered from COVID-19? Find out if you can donate blood – News Live Report

The ongoing well being disaster has left folks with many questions, principally about restoration and immunity. Among them is a pertinent doubt that has crossed the minds of a number of COVID-19 recovered sufferers: can they donate blood?

Blood donation is taken into account to be an act of kindness, one which can assist save lives. During the pandemic, nevertheless, it grew to become troublesome to handle. This led to a scarcity of blood models in blood banks throughout the nation. While social distancing and staying at house are essential, it is usually mandatory to reply to the societal name of responsibility, Dr Sandeep Patil, Chief Intensivist & Physician, Fortis Hospital, Kalyan tells indianexpress.com.

“People who want to donate blood have a lot of questions. If they are patients who have recovered from COVID-19, many questions related to whether or not they can donate blood, or if it will cause any complications for the donor as well as the receiver, come up. For other healthy individuals, they are concerned if blood donation can put them at risk of contracting the virus in any way,” the physician says.

So, can one contract the virus whereas donating blood?

“According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, blood donation — or blood transfusion processes — does not put you at a high risk of contracting COVID-19, as it is known that most respiratory viruses cannot be transmitted by donation or transfusion,” explains Dr Patil.

On whether or not former sufferers, who’ve already recovered, can donate, he says that some people could have “a cough, or reduced sense of smell or taste, for some weeks after resolution of their coronavirus infection, but they can be considered as recovered for the purposes of blood and component donation”.

When can a recovered particular person donate blood?

* If the donor had coronavirus signs, has examined optimistic, and it’s not less than 28 days from decision of signs. A subsequent adverse take a look at for the presence of coronavirus doesn’t shorten this 28-day deferral.

* The donor had coronavirus signs however examined adverse, and it’s not less than 14 days from decision of signs.

* If the donor had coronavirus signs and has not been examined for the presence of coronavirus, or has been examined however just isn’t conscious of the consequence, when it’s not less than 28 days from decision of signs.

* The donor has examined optimistic, however has not had signs of coronavirus an infection, and it’s not less than 28 days from the date of their final optimistic take a look at. A subsequent adverse take a look at doesn’t shorten this 28-day deferral, even on this case.

“One must, however, note that these are Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee’s guidelines. According to the guidelines in India, a COVID-19 patient can only donate after the 28-day deferral, or after full recovery. It is best that you speak with your doctor if in doubt,” Dr Patil concludes.

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