BLOOD DONATIONS AND COVID-19 INFECTION

[Anchor Lead]

The spread of COVID-19 is leaving its impact on an unexpected place - at the blood donation sites. It's reported that many blood donors are concerned that giving blood would expose them to the virus, but medical experts say that there is no link between blood donation and virus infection.

[Pkg]

A blood donation center in Seoul. Usually, there are around 30 donors per day, but that number plummeted after COVID-19 cases were reported.

[Soundbite] PARK NAM-SUK(NURSE) : "It's quite a drastic decline. It's serious because we're very low on blood."

Blood is kept in this refrigerator. There used to be piles of packets. Now there's only a handful of them. Ever since the outbreak, Korea barely managed 3-days supply of blood. The optimal level would be five days' supply, so two more days' worth of blood is needed. The shortage is due to the declining number of donors. Scheduled group donations from 14,000 people have been cancelled in the past 15 days. People avoid crowded places, and they fear the possibility of infection in the course of donating blood. However, according to medical experts, donating blood is not an act that expose one to such risks.

[Soundbite] EOM JOONG-SIK(PROFESSOR, GACHON UNIV. GIL MEDICAL CENTER) : "I have never heard of a respiratory virus transmitted through blood. It's just impossible."
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Ever since the viral outbreak, all blood donation facilities are sterilized twice a day and only disposable blood-collecting equipment are used. Anyone who traveled abroad within the last month cannot be a donor. The news of blood shortage prompted some local government workers to help out. Even some office workers joined in such efforts.

[Soundbite] KIM HYANG-MIN(BLOOD DONOR) : "I considered postponing it, but I heard that giving blood has nothing to do with COVID-19."

A prolonged reluctance to donate blood could put patients in need of transfusion in grave danger. Medical experts guarantee that COVID-19 infection is not serious enough to avoid giving blood.