In France, blood stocks have reached a critical level. On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day this Sunday, a thousand collections are organized all over France, despite the health context. The president of the French Blood Establishment, François Toujas, wants to reassure: the health security of staff, donors and recipients, is guaranteed.
"All barrier gestures" are in place
"You should know that the virus is a respiratory virus and that no study has shown its capacity to be transmissible by transfusion. There are no cases. The subject is not the recipient risk but rather the donor risk ", explains the president of the EFS. There is therefore no risk of being infected with the coronavirus, even one receives blood from a person suffering from this disease.
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Caution is therefore required for those traveling to collection points, but François Toujas is confident. "We have implemented all of the barrier gestures that guarantee the safety of both donors and our staff. The masks are worn by our staff as well as by donors, the collection beds are disinfected with each donation. So there are very strong guarantees so that we can come without it jeopardizing the necessary security on all of our sites ". The smooth running of this day should reassure the authorities before the big donation campaign, launched until July 13: "1 month to give all". A total of 7,000 collection points and events are organized in mainland France and overseas.