The new COVID outbreak and the protracted cold weather have caused a steep decline in blood donations in China and several areas from the north to the south of the country have lately been urging more citizens to actively donate blood under strict personal protection guidelines, as per China’s state-media Global Times.
The Shandong blood centre reported that Jinan, the capital of East China’s Shandong province, is now experiencing unprecedented blood supply and collection pressure because of the rise in hospital outpatient and surgical patients. Jinan also has the province’s highest concentration of medical resources. The centre said that the blood group A and O stock has been at a red alert level for many days. According to the centre, the gap in clinical blood consumption is expected to hit an all-time high around the time of the approaching New Year’s and Spring Festival vacations, making it extremely difficult for clinical procedures and medical blood transfusions to take place.
According to other reports quoted by the Global Times, the blood scarcity has put pregnant women and seriously ill patients in some areas of the country at risk. To meet the need for clinical blood usage, Guangzhou, in South China’s Guangdong Province, needs roughly 1,200 blood donors every day. According to the Guangzhou Blood Center, blood supply has reached critically low levels as a result of the recent increase in COVID-19 infection cases as well as the cold weather.
For locals who would donate their blood to those in need as a sign of thanks, the clinic provided supplied N95 face masks and antigen testing kits as prizes for contributions. The National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday that China will stop publishing daily statistics on COVID-19 cases and fatalities, terminating a practice that started in early 2020.
Since Beijing abruptly abolished its zero-COVID policy earlier this month, cities around China are grappling with an increase in viral infections that have left pharmacy shelves empty and overcrowded hospitals and crematoriums.
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