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China relaxes COVID-related restrictions on blood donation amid reported shortage - December 18+.....many places are in an emergency situation

sharon sanders

Editor-in-Chief & President
China relaxes COVID-related restrictions on blood donation amid reported shortage
By Global Times
Published: Dec 18, 2022 11:30 PM

China's National Health Commission on Saturday issued a revised version of guidelines on blood donation, allowing close contacts, secondary close contacts of COVID-19 infections as well as recovered COVID-19 patients to donate blood.

Compared with the first version of the guidelines, the revised guidelines on prevention and control of COVID-19 infection at blood stations removed the requirement that close contacts and secondary close contacts of COVID-19 infections as well as people who traveled to medium- and high-risk areas shouldn't donate blood.

Also, based on international practices and Chinese conditions, people who have infected with COVID-19 (except for severe and critical cases) can donate blood seven days after their last positive results of nucleic acid test or antigen test.

more...

zhttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1282122.shtml
 
Blood banks in many places are in emergency, which may endanger the rescue of pregnant women and critically ill patients
December 20, 2022, 19:50, China Business News, Author: Lin Zhiyin
227
  Behind the emergency of the blood bank is related to factors such as the recent increase in the number of people infected with the new crown. After being infected with the new crown virus, when can I participate in blood donation?

  Recently, there have been reports of emergency blood banks in many parts of the country, which will affect the rescue of pregnant women and critically ill patients. Many blood centers are appealing to citizens who meet the conditions for blood donation to actively participate in blood donation.

  Behind the emergency of the blood bank is related to factors such as the recent increase in the number of people infected with the new crown. When can I donate blood after being infected with the new coronavirus?

  Behind the emergency of the blood bank

  On December 20, a reporter from China Business News learned from the Guangzhou Blood Center that Guangzhou has entered the off-season of blood donation, and due to the double influence of "yang tide" and "cold wave", the blood stock is periodically low.

  Although the blood stock in Guangzhou is slightly lower than the usual stock, it can still meet the needs and safety of clinical first aid. However, in order to ensure the need and safety of blood for medical emergencies, the Guangzhou Blood Center is also appealing to citizens who meet the recent blood donation requirements. Donate blood once under the premise of strict personal protection.

  It is worth noting that the Guangzhou Blood Center is not the only one calling on citizens to donate blood recently.

  On December 13, the Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center issued a letter of proposal to the citizens of Nanjing. The Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center stated that at present, during the special period of the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the flow of people on the streets has decreased, and voluntary blood donation has dropped sharply. Colleges and universities in Nanjing are on vacation one after another, and group blood donation activities are basically at a standstill. The amount of clinical blood used by medical institutions at all levels in Nanjing is not decreasing, and the blood inventory has fallen below the minimum inventory warning line. The blood center issued a free blood donation initiative to party and government agencies, enterprises and institutions, and the general public in Ningxia.

  On December 12, the Yunnan Kunming Blood Center announced on its official account that the blood stock was running out and blood donations were urgently needed.

  "Blood is an important material for saving the lives of the sick and injured, and the only source is voluntary donations from healthy citizens. On average, about 500 people in Kunming need to donate blood every day to basically meet the clinical demand for blood. Currently, affected by the epidemic, free donations on the streets The number of blood donations has dropped sharply, group blood donation activities have been forced to stagnate, and the average number of blood donations per day is less than 100, which has endangered the rescue of pregnant women and critically ill patients, and the blood inventory is in a complete emergency." Yunnan Kunming Blood Center said.

  As early as December 8, the Kunming Blood Center in Yunnan also launched an emergency plan for blood collection and supply, and earnestly appealed to party and government agencies, enterprises, institutions, universities, social organizations, and caring citizens to actively participate in blood donation.

  In addition, on December 9, the Shandong Provincial Blood Center also issued an emergency news that the blood bank was in urgent need of type A blood and type O blood.

  "Recently, many cities in China have experienced blood shortages and blood emergencies. The main reason is that citizens have been infected with the new crown virus one after another. After positive people have been found in groups and units, they all need to be isolated and treated at home, resulting in a reduction in human resources. Blood donation work has stagnated; college students, the main force of unpaid blood donation, have basically returned to their hometowns on vacation. With the increasing number of people who are positive for the new crown, the number of people who are isolated and treated at home is large, and the number of citizens who go out for activities has decreased significantly, causing them to walk into the streets The number of voluntary blood donations at blood donation sites has decreased accordingly, and the number of voluntary blood donations on the street has also dropped sharply.” Guangzhou Blood Center told Yicai.com.


  You can donate blood 7 days after the last nucleic acid or antigen positive result

  Behind the emergency of the blood bank is related to factors such as the recent increase in the number of people infected with the new crown. After being infected with the new crown virus, when can I participate in blood donation?


  It is worth noting that in order to further require blood collection and supply institutions to strictly implement prevention and control measures, ensure the safety of blood collection and supply institution staff and unpaid blood donors, and ensure the safe and stable supply of blood, on December 17, the General Office of the National Health and Health Commission and the Central Military Commission Logistics The Health Bureau of the Ministry of Social Security jointly issued the "Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Blood Stations (Second Edition)".

  Compared with the 2021 "Guidelines for Normalized Prevention and Control of the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic in Blood Stations", the new version of the guidelines mainly revises the following content: According to the adjustment of the epidemic prevention and control policy, the new version of the work guidelines deletes the information about close contacts, secondary close contacts, and residence in high-risk areas Historians suspend blood donation related content; propose to suspend blood donation for 48 hours after inoculation of genetic recombinant vaccine and inactivated vaccine; comprehensive international practice and my country's situation, clearly infected with new coronavirus (except severe and critical cases), the last new coronavirus nucleic acid test or antigen Blood can be donated 7 days after a positive test result; those with severe or critical infection can donate blood after 6 months of recovery.

  "According to relevant literature reports and news reports around the world, no cases have been found that the new coronavirus can be transmitted through blood transfusion. Therefore, after the adjustment of the epidemic prevention and control policy, it is safe to donate blood 7 days after the last new coronavirus nucleic acid test or antigen positive result. It will cause infection of blood users, please rest assured." Guangzhou Blood Center said.

zhttps://news.sina.com.cn/o/2022-12-20/doc-imxxitwu0732841.shtml#/
 
Many places are in emergency, the inventory has fallen below the warning line, what happened to the blood bank?

  "At this stage, there is only 3 days of clinical demand for type A, and less than 5 days for type B, type O, and AB." On December 20, the Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center stated. Data show that in December this year, the number of blood donations and the volume of blood donations in Jiangsu Blood Center decreased by 57% and 54% respectively over the same period.

  Including Jiangsu, blood banks in many places across the country have been in "emergency" recently. In some areas, affected by the combination of cold weather and the epidemic, the blood collection volume of blood stations has reached a historical low. At present, many blood donation centers appeal to caring citizens to actively donate blood. There is a gap in clinical blood supply, which has endangered the rescue of pregnant women and critically ill patients.

  "There are too few people on the streets in the past two days, and the amount of blood donation is lower than the previous period, almost a record low," Jiang Zhe, a staff member of the Shandong Provincial Blood Center, told China News Weekly, "The main thing now is to expand publicity and let everyone know as much as possible In addition to the situation of the blood station, in addition, the deployment of blood is carried out in the whole province, so that the blood resources can be optimized and rationally used as much as possible.”

  Off-season of blood donation during the epidemic

  "Dear blood donors: Hello! The blood stock has fallen below the warning line, and blood of various blood types is urgently needed. Please participate in blood donation and save lives!" On December 17, Zhao Lin received a text message from the Shandong Zibo Blood Station. This is the first time she has received such an "emergency" message in the five years since she participated in blood donation.

  Zhao Lin's blood type is type A, and type A blood is currently in short supply in the province's blood centers. On December 22, Zhao Lin went to the local blood bank to donate 300ml of blood. She told China News Weekly that during her blood donation period, no new blood donors came in from the blood bank. So far, she has not been diagnosed positive. Usually, a person can donate blood once every six months or so.

  In the past few days, Shandong Provincial Blood Center has repeatedly issued urgent appeals for blood donation. It mentioned that recently, affected by multiple factors such as epidemic prevention and control, cold weather, and college students returning home on vacation, the number of voluntary blood donors, group blood donation units, and machine-collected platelet blood donations on the streets of Jinan, the provincial capital, has dropped sharply, and the daily blood collection volume is less than 100. Units, and at least 700 units of blood per day can meet the basic needs of clinical blood. It is reported that 1 unit is 200 ml.

  "Because of the cold weather, autumn and winter are the low seasons for blood donation," Jiang Zhe told China News Weekly. The "blood shortage" in Shandong Province began in mid-November. There were too few people on the streets. After the appeal, the blood donation gap has not been alleviated yet.

  The number of blood donors on the street has decreased sharply, and group blood donation cannot be organized. According to Jiang Zhe, group blood donation can gather a large number of people to donate blood and quickly and timely replenish blood stocks. College students are one of the main groups of group blood donations, but this year many universities have winter vacations ahead of schedule, and group blood donations in colleges and universities cannot be organized. In addition, in some enterprises and institutions, such as hospitals, many employees have been infected. Army blood donations were also unable to be organized due to the epidemic.

  In addition to Shandong Province, there have been reports of "emergency" blood banks in many parts of the country recently.

  On December 12, the Yunnan Provincial Blood Center announced that, on average, about 500 people in Kunming need to donate blood every day to basically meet the clinical demand for blood. At present, due to the impact of the epidemic, the number of voluntary blood donations on the street has dropped sharply, and group blood donation activities have been forced to stagnate. The average number of blood donations per day is less than a hundred, which has endangered the rescue of pregnant women and critically ill patients.

  On December 13, the Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center issued the "Proposal to Citizens in Nanjing". It said that at present, in the special period of the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the flow of people on the streets has decreased, and the number of unpaid blood donations has dropped sharply. Colleges and universities in Nanjing are on vacation one after another, and group blood donation activities are basically at a standstill. The amount of clinical blood used by medical institutions at all levels in Nanjing has not decreased, and the blood inventory has fallen below the minimum inventory warning line.

  In Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, which has a permanent population of more than 3.2 million, the number of people taking blood on the streets once dropped to single digits.

  According to the disclosure, the number of blood donations and the volume of blood donations in Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center in December this year decreased by 57% and 54% respectively compared with the same period last year. According to the data on December 20, at this stage, the blood center type A only has a 3-day clinical demand, and the B, O, and AB types have less than 5 days of clinical demand.

  In addition, the "emergency" of blood stocks also appeared in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei, Shanxi, Jiangxi and other places.

  peak blood consumption

  Autumn and winter are also the peak period for clinical blood use. "In addition to the upcoming New Year's Day and Spring Festival holidays, it is expected that the gap in clinical blood use will usher in the highest peak in history," Shandong Provincial Blood Center said.

  Jiang Zhe told China News Weekly that blood banks across the country are basically trying to ensure the use of blood for critically ill patients. "If this part is not guaranteed, some life may be in danger," he said. For some non-urgent cases, such as the condition is not serious, the hospital may suggest postponing the operation. However, for some patients who need regular blood transfusions, as well as some trauma surgery patients, such as major accidents or car accidents, etc., and those who are guaranteed, such as pregnant women, the demand for blood is still very large.

  In Shandong, the blood stocks of A and O blood types have been at the red alert line for many days. Even if they are "used sparingly", they can only last for three days. Red is already the highest level of warning in the emergency plan for blood collection and supply. On December 5th, December 9th, and December 16th, the Shandong Provincial Blood Center issued three proposals, calling on healthy and caring citizens of the right age to extend a helping hand, watch and help each other, and overcome difficulties together under the condition of protecting themselves .

  According to the data, at present, the only source of blood for clinical use is the voluntary donation of healthy citizens. China News Weekly noticed that in the past three years since the epidemic, blood banks in various provinces and cities have also experienced "emergency" situations from time to time.

  "Until the outbreak, blood donation, especially blood components such as platelets, is very difficult." Ma Jun, director of the Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology, told China News Weekly that there are more than 300 patients in the hospital, and there are about 70 people every day. Blood transfusion and platelet transfusion are needed, especially for children, the elderly and transplant patients, but for three years, only 1/3 may be given every day.

  Ma Jun's research institute can only adopt the method of "self-help". "Medical staff went to donate blood, but they have already donated and can no longer donate. Then there are family members who donate blood. Now as long as there are critically ill patients who need to be rescued, we will start to donate blood." Ma Jun said, but there are also children who are not there. , or the elderly and children who cannot donate blood, it is also very difficult to donate blood with mutual assistance.

  At the beginning of 2020, blood shortages occurred in many blood banks across the country. According to media reports, at that time, some places could still take measures such as making an appointment for blood donation or visiting blood collection. The current situation is obviously more complicated.

  After many appeals, Jiangsu Provincial Blood Center received relatively more consultation calls. "The people who come for consultation are mainly those who are negative and healthy, and some who are close to turning negative," a staff member of the blood center told China News Weekly.

  Can "Yangkang" participate in blood donation?

  There are also some people who worry about whether donating blood will lead to a short-term decline in immunity.

  "The immune function of these patients is relatively strong during the recovery period. Taking 200 ml of blood, including platelets from blood components, will not affect the immune function, nor will it affect the individual's T cell function and B cell antibody function, because The amount is very small.” Ma Jun said that there are about 3,500 to 5,000 milliliters of blood in an adult’s body. After blood collection, the individual's hematopoietic function will recover more quickly, and the immune function will also be enhanced.

  However, in his opinion, there should be a clear standard for the amount of blood donated by people who have recovered from the new crown, such as generally donating 200 ml, no more than 300 ml, and not 400 ml. They are all changing drastically, and some immune cells may have died in the process of fighting the virus."

  Since Jiang Zhe's blood center ran out of stock, the staff have also participated in blood donation one after another. "The personnel in our blood bank are the first to donate when the blood bank is out of blood. As long as they meet the conditions, they basically donate. In order to make up for this blood gap, some medical staff also organize blood donation activities every year. This aspect can also reflect that the act of donating blood itself does not have much impact on the individual body." He said.

  Many academic studies have shown that routine blood donation is not directly related to immune function. Ma Jun said that the relevant departments can also come up with a more specific plan, "Through a few blood donation samples, it can be seen whether the cell function is affected. Whether the effect affects the production of antibodies can also be detected quickly."

  In the view of the staff of the aforementioned Jiangsu Blood Center, as the public pays more attention to blood stocks, the amount of blood donation may slowly usher in a recovery. Jiang Zhe believes that it is still difficult to estimate when it will recover. "It still depends on the overall social situation. If there are few normal and healthy people in the short term, it will not be able to improve."


  The blood bank is in a hurry, which is related to the rapid increase in the number of infected people. Some people who have recovered from the new crown have also expressed doubts about whether they can participate in blood donation. China News Weekly noticed that according to the "Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of New Coronavirus Infection in Blood Stations (Second Edition)" jointly issued by the General Office of the National Health and Health Commission and the Health Bureau of the Logistics Support Department of the Central Military Commission on December 17, vaccination with genetically recombinant vaccines Blood donation is suspended for 48 hours after being inactivated vaccine; except for severe and critical cases, people infected with the new coronavirus can donate blood after 7 days of recovery; those with severe or critical infections can donate blood after 6 months of recovery.

  "Now the infection rate is gradually increasing. After being vaccinated, or after some people are diagnosed, they often produce antibodies one to two weeks after turning negative, and the virus remains very small." Ma Jun said.

  In Ma Jun's view, the safety of blood donors, as well as that of patients, should come first. If the patient still has some symptoms including fatigue after turning negative, it is best not to donate blood within a week, and you can wait until the physical strength is fully recovered. Whether the virus is reduced to zero requires standardized screening and data support.

  The Kunming Blood Center in Yunnan issued a document pointing out that at present, there are no reports of the spread of the new coronavirus through blood transfusion in the world.

  According to the above work guidelines, in order to ensure blood safety to the greatest extent, the content of the report on the new coronavirus infection is reserved in the blood donor report policy. If the new coronavirus infection is diagnosed within 48 hours after blood donation, the blood donor should report back to the blood station in time.

zhttps://news.sina.com.cn/c/2022-12-23/doc-imxxrucw4251368.shtml
 
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