HSA appeals for blood donors as stock dips to low or critical levels during Covid-19 outbreak

SINGAPORE — With Singapore’s blood banks closely watching the screening of donors during the coronavirus outbreak, the authorities are appealing for healthy donors to give blood because stocks have dipped to low or critical levels.

In response to TODAY’s enquiries on Friday (Feb 14), the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), which manages Singapore’s blood banks, said: “Our blood stocks are currently trending downwards. We, therefore, strongly urge donors who are healthy and eligible to step forward as our patients really need your support during this challenging period.”

With extra precautions in place, such as stringent screening of donors before they are allowed into the blood banks, HSA said that the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, while giving blood is assessed to be low.

The Singapore Red Cross said on its website that on Friday, stocks for the A+, B+, O+ and AB+ blood types were at “critical” levels, and those for the A-, B-, O- and AB- blood types were “low”.

When blood stocks are at the critical level, this means that donors are urgently needed and urged to donate on the same day.

For blood types where stocks are low, donors are urged to donate within the week.

HSA said that blood is needed every day to support the needs of patients in Singapore, and that it was important to maintain at least six days of blood stock at all times for daily transfusion needs and bleeding emergencies.

Last year, there were 75,655 blood donors, or just 1.87 per cent of the resident population.

NO EVIDENCE CORONAVIRUS CAN SPREAD THROUGH BLOOD

For now, there is no evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted through blood, HSA said.

Even so, the authority has put in place a slew of measures to ensure the safety of the blood supply and the health of its donors.

Since last Friday — when Singapore raised its disease outbreak response code to Orange — HSA has been screening potential donors and their companions for fever or respiratory symptoms, such as cough or runny nose, and their travels to mainland China, before they can enter the blood banks or mobile donation drives.  

Those who are unwell, on leave of absence or have been to China in the last 14 days will be barred entry.

Apart from beefing up the screening of donors, HSA said that staff members were monitoring their temperatures twice daily, and have been told to wear masks and see a doctor if they have fever or respiratory symptoms.

“To further assure our donors, we have also increased the frequency of cleaning to ensure the cleanliness standards of our blood banks,” HSA added.

INFECTED DONORS TO BE DEFERRED

As for donors who have Covid-19 infection, their donations will be deferred until more information becomes available, HSA said.

“They will only be allowed to donate blood when there is more medical data to indicate when it is safe for donors who have recovered from the novel coronavirus infection to donate blood again,” it added.

Blood donors told TODAY that they would continue to give blood, although one donor is concerned about visiting the blood banks.

Undergraduate Tan Hui Lin, 24, who last donated blood in 2018, said that the blood banks are in areas where people tend to congregate.

HSA’s four blood banks are in Outram, Dhoby Ghaut, Woodlands and Jurong East.

“Most of us would avoid crowded places… there’s high inertia to actually leave the house,” Ms Tan said, although she added that she would donate blood if the supply is low.

Mr Shahroull Khairoullah, 29, a painting company owner who gives blood every three months, said that he would not do so for now because he has been coughing for the past few weeks.

Business development manager Chan Si Yong, 27, said that HSA’s added precautions were helpful, even though screening procedures were already stringent before the virus outbreak.

Donors have to fill in a health questionnaire and be checked by a medical screener, he said. “If you are unwell, they will turn you down.”

Public servant Andrew Wilfred, 33, said that the coronavirus outbreak would not deter him from donating blood.

“I trust that the nurses are doing their best to maintain the high standards of hygiene that they have always done.”

For information on where to go for blood donation and the blood banks' opening hours, go to HSA's website or the Singapore Red Cross' website.