China tells recovered Covid-19 patients to wait six months before giving blood
- No firm link has yet been established between transfusions and Covid-19 infections
- However, traces of the virus have been found in blood samples taken from patients being treated for the disease
China has said recovered Covid-19 patients must wait at least six months before giving blood.
The Beijing News reported that the latest policy would be introduced nationwide despite no proof that people can catch Covid-19 through blood transfusions.
It cited a medical practitioner in Wuhan, the city where the disease was first identified, who said traces of the virus have been identified in the urine and blood of patients who were being treated for Covid-19.
The October issue of Blood, a US-based medical journal, also recorded that traces of the virus had been confirmed in the blood of some serious cases.
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A haematologist told The Beijing News that although genetic material from the coronavirus has rarely been found in blood donated by asymptomatic patients, it was not possible to completely eliminate the risk of infection.