— By Dr KK Aggarwal
COVID 19 recovered patient can donate blood
No. There are no guidelines available. Some centers say three months. But if he or she wants to donate plasma for serious COVID infected cases can do right away.
Avoid blood donation in COVID 19 situation
No. Most blood banks have introduced a 28-day donation postponement for donors returning from any overseas country following updated public health advice from government that anyone who returns from overseas is considered to have returned from a high or moderate risk country and should practice social distancing outside of work.
A 28-day postponement is in place for any donors who have been in contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus. This means that if you have been in contact with someone who has had coronavirus and was infectious at the time then you’ll be unable to donate for 28 days.
If you have had coronavirus yourself you will not be able to donate for three months after your recovery.
In the past, people with a mild runny nose with no fever have been allowed to donate plasma. Blood banks follow this that anyone with minor cold-like symptoms will be deferred until they are recovered.
Coronavirus can transmit by Blood Donation
No. Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United States earlier this year, the AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism, in coordination with the country’s blood collection establishments, has been monitoring the evolving public health situation and preparing for potential further spread
According to the US FDA there have been no reported or suspected cases of transfusion-transmitted COVID-19. No cases of transfusion-transmission were ever reported for the other two coronaviruses that emerged during the past two decades (SARS and MERS-CoV).
Individuals are not at risk of contracting COVID-19 through the blood donation process or via a blood transfusion, since respiratory viruses are generally not known to be transmitted by donation or transfusion.
Air ambulances are not safe
Just because Philippines plane crashed does not mean air ambulances are not safe. : A plane used as an air ambulance to fight the coronavirus outbreak burst into flames as it took off from Manila’s airport for Japan on Sunday night, killing all eight people aboard, including medical workers.
R0 estimate higher in healthcare or long-term care facilities?
There is no evidence as yet
Health-care workers can be prevented
Healthcare worker illnesses (over 1,000 ) demonstrates human-to human transmission despite isolation, PPE, and infection control. [(U) Schnirring, L., New coronavirus infects health workers, spreads to Korea. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/newcoronavirus-infects-health-workers-spreads-korea.
There is no difference between porous and non-porous material as far as covid 19 infection is concerned
Porous hospital materials, including paper and cotton cloth, maintain infectious SARS-CoV for a shorter time than non-porous material. [(U) Lai, M. Y.; Cheng, P. K.; Lim, W. W., Survival of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2005, 41 (7), e67-e71.]
The reduction in CFR through time is an indication of better treatment, less overcrowding, or both
We have no answer as on today
Tests can not be false positive or negative
False positive/negative rates for tests are not known.
((The writer is President, CMAAO, HCFI and Past national President IMA))
