in-cyprus 25 April 2021 - by Constantinos Tsintas
The Blood Centre has issued yet another dramatic appeal to blood donors to come forward next week, as reserves are running dangerously low.
Frequent cancellations of blood donation events due to covid, as well as the large number of people in self-isolation, citizens who are excluded due to vaccinations and the general pandemic climate as a whole, has led to a major drop in blood donors, as needs are approaching red alert levels with blood needed amongst the highest amounts in decades.
Patients with covid have low haemoglobin and haemorrhage, needing frequent transfusions.
The Blood Centre warns that the situation is getting progressively worse and results might be catastrophic if blood donation does not increase.
Blood donation centre have extended their working hours to allow for more people to come in.
Additional reasons for exclusion due to the pandemic:
- 14 days in blood donors who have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case.
- 14 days to blood donors who travelled anywhere outside Cyprus.
- 14 days in blood donors who have symptoms of virus and/or any clinically proven respiratory disease (from the passage of symptoms).
- 21 days after the positive result, in asymptomatic individuals who tested positive for SAR-CoV-2 (7 days after release from isolation).
- 28 days, after the onset of symptoms, in people who were diseased with COVID-19 (mild or moderate disease).
- 7 days after each vaccination dose of Pfizer and Moderna and 28 days of AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson.
