at the start of the pandemic the message was loud and clear: stay home, if you can, in order to curb the spread of covid-19. elective surgeries and dentist visits were postponed, doctor appointments went virtual, and many of us did not see loved ones for months. even though prime minister justin trudeau encouraged canadians to donate blood back in march, not everyone felt safe doing so.
enhanced health and safety measures are in place at all blood donation centres, tracy smith, the director of donor relations at canadian blood services, says. these include mandatory mask wearing for staff and donors, frequent cleaning of all surfaces, and chairs and checkpoints set up with physical distancing in place. hand sanitizer is also on site.
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there is no strong evidence that covid-19 can be transmitted through a blood donation. covid-19 mostly spreads through respiratory droplets from close contact with an infected person. this means if you breathe in someone’s infectious droplets after they cough, sneeze, laugh or sing, you can contract the virus. it is also possible to contract covid-19 from contaminated surfaces , but many experts question how much of a risk that is . handwashing is a smart way to reduce the risk.
the world health organization (who) says covid-19 has not been reported to be transmitted through blood or blood components. the who even points to a small study where “blood components collected from donors in the pre-symptomatic phase of covid-19 did not transmit the infection” to those who received their blood donations.
canadian blood services says the same . because covid-19 is primarily a respiratory virus — with potential to infect the digestive system — people get the virus when they inhale or ingest it, not through a blood transfusion.
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if you have recently left the country, you need to self-isolate per government guidelines and refrain from any blood donation for at least 14 days upon your return. canadian blood services says this includes travellers returning from the u.s., europe and antarctica, but for folks coming back from other places, they need to wait at least 21 days.
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what’s more, if you have recovered for covid-19, smith says that canadian blood services is interested in your convalescent plasma .
the goal of the trial is to help determine if plasma from recovered patients is an effective way to treat people currently infected with the virus. one u.s. study suggests convalescent plasma can help treat covid-19 patients, but more research is needed , experts say.