How to safely donate blood during coronavirus pandemic
Hospitals are currently overburdened due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fear of coronavirus infection has stopped many people from seeking medical help for other ailments, which is not right. Not just this, the fear of transmission of the virus has also reduced the number of blood donors.
While the demand has increased with more people getting hospitalised, the number of people donating blood has decreased. According to the Indian Red Cross Society's weekly update on June 4, the blood units collected was 99, while units used were 216.
The requirement for the blood is the same (or more), while the donation has reduced. Because there is no substitute for blood, it's absolutely necessary to donate blood even during the pandemic. Just make sure that you and the hospital should follow all the safety precautions.
Who can donate blood?
Anyone who has no symptoms, or has not fallen sick recently and has not come in contact with a COVID 19 patient, can donate blood safely.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines on the safe way to donate blood and blood plasma during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here is a list of things to be kept in mind:
- Maintain good respiratory hygiene. For example, do not cough or sneeze openly. Keep wearing your mask or use your elbow to cough or sneeze.
- Hand hygiene should be properly followed. Make sure to wash/sanitize your hands properly.
- Cleaning and disinfecting the most-touched surfaces should be of utmost importance.
- The seats in the hospital should be placed at least six feet apart, including in the waiting area and the collection area.
- Thermal screening of both the hospital workers and the patients should be done before they enter the premises.
Steps to be followed when you go for blood donation:
- Be very careful about hand sanitization. Wash your hands before and after you donate the blood.
- Keep wearing your mask and do not touch your face or the outside of your mask. Wash your hands before touching your face and wash your hands if you touch the outer side of your mask by mistake.
- When you get back home, change and wash all the clothes and take a bath too.
- Take steam as it will help in avoiding nasal infection.
- Have a cup of kadha, herbal tea, haldi milk at night. You can do this every day to boost your immunity.
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