By Catherine Murombedzi
CAN the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, be transferred through blood donations?
This is a topical issue right now, with fears that one can acquire COVID-19 from a blood transfusion.
People are worried, especially families with loved ones who receive occasional blood transfusions.
Science and research has focused on that area already.
It gladly notes that it is not possible, long before we had COVID-19.
COVID-19 belongs in the coronavirus family.
The need for blood donations has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the main donors face restrictions in movement.
The National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is always urging members of the public to donate blood.
Their main benefactors, schoolchildren, are on an indefinite break as a measure to minimise the further spread of COVID-19.
Donors are urged to call and book appointments to give blood. New donors are also welcome.
The requirements are:
λ Not have travelled from your locality in the past three months;
λ Not sick, specifically have not been confirmed to have acquired COVID-19 nor have been in contact with a confirmed case; and
λ Not to have other under lying health conditions.
There is no payment of cash to any blood donor.
However, there is a non-monetary token to donors.
Answering a question from one journalist in a virtual meeting, clarification was given on why COVID-19 was not passed on, yet in the past,
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a virus too,was passed through blood transfusion.
The journalist wanted to know the difference.
Speaking in a webnair held by the NBSZ recently, Dr Stanley Midzi, the World Health Organisation (WHO) health systems strengthening and policy advisor, said there was no need to fear nor panic.
COVID-19 is not found in blood.
“COVID-19 is a respiratory virus not known to be transmitted by blood transfusion and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus,” said Dr Midzi.
The CEO of NBSZ, Lucy Marowa, clarified the target market for blood donors and the procedure of blood sampling.
“All blood goes through a rigorous testing process which picks up all anomalies,” said Marowa.
“There is no data or evidence that COVID-19 can be transmissible by blood transfusion.
“As NBSZ, we only collect blood from individuals who are healthy.
“All blood donors are asked standard questions prior to donating blood to determine if they are in good health and free of any diseases that could be transmitted by blood transfusion.
“If the donors’ answers indicate they are not well or are at risk for having a disease transmissible by blood transfusion, they are not allowed to donate blood.
“All of the donated blood is tested for blood type (ABO group) and Rh type (positive or negative).
“This is to make sure that patients receive blood that matches their blood type.
“Before transfusion, the donor and blood unit are also tested for certain proteins (antibodies) that may cause adverse reactions in a person receiving a blood transfusion.”
With all blood going under such scrutiny, the nation can be assured of safe blood from NBSZ.
On speaking to a friend who is a nurse and who declined to be named, this writer got in-depth appreciation as a layman.
“COVID-19 is a fast replicating virus which is moved in the air and can survive for some hours outside the body,” she said.
“COVID-19 is tangible, like money, while HIV is not, one acquires HIV through sex, from mother to child or through contacts with needles from an infected person.
“COVID-19, on the other hand, is not, it is moved by people.
“COVID-19 does not leave the host cell, while HIV must always be in a living cell to survive, that is sperm, blood with white cells, organs like liver and lymph node, among others.
“HIV virus dies easily outside the body.
“That’s why HIV is easy to control and COVID-19 is difficult; it is a respiratory infection which results in multiple diseases from failure to breathe, pneumonia-like symptoms, headaches as well as fever, leading to multiple organ failure.”
All blood for transfusion is tested for evidence of
infectious disease pathogens, such as hepatitis B and C viruses or HIV.
Prior to 1987, when the procedure was not as rigorous and meeting international standards, some people acquired HIV after receiving contaminated blood.
In the US, Elizabeth Glaser, who was an expectant mother, acquired HIV through a blood transfusion in 1983.
She vertically infected her baby in the womb.
Glaser championed for anti-HIV medication to stop the acquisition of HIV from mother to child.
Today, the foundation that she founded, known as Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), works in 19 countries globally aiming to eliminate the vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child.
Zimbabwe is on target, having lowered mother-to-child HIV transmission to less than five percent of babies being born with HIV.
Cuba is the only country globally to have totally achieved the milestone: ‘No child born with HIV’.
The then acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, (MoHCC) Dr Gibson Mhlanga has said financing of NBSZ is paramount to the nation requiring permanent solution to recapitalisation for sustainable delivery of the unit.
The NBSZ has struggled to keep abreast in new technology and equipment which is a requisite to efficient operations.
The nation has always queried the cost of blood, which is sold in forex, yet donors give it for free.
The cost to processing the blood requires recouping.
The cost is user-fee; if it was sold, blood would cost much more.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care will forward proposals on the possibility of a grant facility to the finance Ministry for the NBSZ which urgently is in need for recapitalisation now,” said Dr Mhlanga.