Blood reserves lack 30,000 bags to regain the level of security necessary to meet transfusion needs, alerted Tuesday, February 8 the French Blood Establishment (EFS).
“The stock of blood products has been below the safety threshold and has been for several days. 70,000 bags of red blood cells are now in reserve when 100,000 are needed”writes the EFS in a press releasequalified for the first time as “vital emergency bulletin”. And to warn that “This situation could prove dangerous in the short term for treating patients. This prospect is absolutely unthinkable..
“The situation today is critical and we absolutely must succeed collectively in redressing this situation. I really call on donors today, to help us meet this challenge.”warns Stéphane Noël, director of the French Blood Establishment in Île-de-France, interviewed by France Inter.
The call was relayed on Twitter by the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, asking “the mobilization of all so that each patient can have the blood he needs to be treated”.
Effects of Covid-19
According to the public establishment in charge of blood collection, this situation due to the pandemic. The ” cancellations of collections in companies and universities, [la] lower mobilization of donors [et les] Difficulties in recruiting medical personnel have considerably affected blood collection”. The Omicron variant, which is particularly contagious, “added two critical elements : the self-deferral of some blood donors and a high rate of absenteeism of EFS staff”continues the establishment.
In the context of Covid-19, wearing a mask and more broadly respecting barrier gestures are compulsory when donating blood, but “neither the health pass nor the vaccination pass are necessary to access it”, specifies the EFS. And “People who have shown symptoms of Covid-19 must wait fourteen days after symptoms disappear to donate blood or fourteen days after testing positive”, recalls the press release. As for people recently vaccinated, they do not have to wait after the injection to donate blood.
A list of collection points is available on the website dondesang.efs.sante.fr/find-a-collection or on the Blood Donation app.