Scientists around the world are studying the virus and advise people who are infected with COVID-19 should not donate blood. Only those who have recovered from COVID-19 after 28 days of discharge or isolation can donate blood.
COIVID-19 primarily spreads through droplets generated by an infected person who coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Touching a contaminated surface and then the eyes, nose, or mouth can also cause it. Experts said that there’s a blood shortage in India, the current donors need to be reviewed in the light of this case and other global studies. It is also believed that the threat of blood transfusion transmission route, will increase as many asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers might also donate blood.
The patient was admitted in January this year and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, he was admitted for an emergency bone marrow transplant. In the patient’s case, his son was found to be a fit donor. But he started complaining of mild fever a day before the transplant. He tested positive for COVID19 through the RT-PCR test. The doctors then tested his sister, who was another possible donor. But she too was detected with asymptomatic COVID infection. There was no chance of finding another donor. The patient’s marrow had been destroyed drastically with a high dose of chemotherapy. The doctors said, “we had no choice but to use the donors’ cells despite knowing his covid infective status.”