RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A survey conducted by Hemorio found that 28 percent of people who donated blood during the Covid-19 pandemic had contact with the novel coronavirus. The result refers to people who had symptoms of the disease as well as to asymptomatic people.
In all, 7,286 blood donations were analyzed between April and June. During this period, the number of infections increased sharply.
By the second half of April, only four percent of donors had contracted Covid-19. By early May, the number had jumped to 18 percent. By early June, the study showed that 28 percent of Hemorio’s donors had developed antibodies to the disease.
“We were very surprised. We did not expect that we would find this prevalence, with IgM or IgG showing in people who had Covid and were cured,” reported Hemorio’s director Luiz Amorim.
The data analysis is being conducted in partnership with public universities in Rio de Janeiro, Fiocruz, and the State Health Secretariat. In the coming weeks, other donors will be tested.
The researchers believe that this is an important reflection of what may be happening to the residents of Rio de Janeiro.
“Coronavirus is not transmissible by blood. It is a respiratory virus, not very present in the blood when the rate is low. It is present in breathing, nasal secretion. This virus is not transmissible by blood, nor by blood transfusions”, explained Amorim.
The tests are conducted after the blood donation. Hemorio reported that it will make an effort to disclose the result to all donors.
According to the researchers, blood transfusions with antibodies are considered safe. But they point out that such transfusion is unable to immunize the blood recipients.
Source: G1