Blood Donations Plummet After COVID-19... Blood Supply Shortage Looms

Blood Donation Center Ilsan Branch Quiet
Civilians' Fear of Blood Donation
"Blood Cannot Be Artificially Made
Hope to Serve Through Blood Donation to End This Year"

On the afternoon of the 23rd, two blood donors are donating blood at the Ilsan Center of the Seoul Central Blood Center, Blood Management Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross.

"I think it’s accurate to say it has become quiet since COVID-19."

At around 2 p.m. on the 23rd, at the Korean Red Cross Blood Management Headquarters Seoul Central Blood Center’s Blood Donation House Ilsan Center, only two people were waiting for their turn in the waiting area. The blood donation room was equally quiet. The ‘Today’s Blood Supply Status’ posted at the Ilsan Center entrance showed that type B blood was at the ‘Caution’ level, while the others were marked as ‘Alert’ and ‘Critical.’ The blood supply crisis levels are classified based on the stock amount: Interest (less than 5 days), Caution (less than 3 days), Alert (less than 2 days), and Critical (less than 1 day). As of the 24th, the nationwide blood supply (red blood cell products) is 4.2 days, with types AB (4.1 days) and O (3.6 days) below average. For concentrated platelets, essential for patients with thrombocytopenia and leukemia, only 1.8 days’ worth is available. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, blood donors have gradually decreased due to infection concerns, leaving the blood supply unstable. Although the transition to With COVID-19 began on the 1st of this month, it has not led to an increase in blood donations.

Those who visited the Ilsan Center donated blood for various reasons such as personal goals and military enlistment bonus points. However, all hoped that blood donation participation would increase to resolve the shortage of blood supply.

Lee Hong-jun (43), who has donated blood 36 times so far to reach his goal of 50 donations, said, "When emergency patient surgeries are needed at hospitals, if there isn’t enough blood, lives that could be saved might be lost, so I want to encourage blood donation." He added, "Since blood tests are done during donation, I can regularly check my health status." Oh Kwang-ik (49), who donated blood five times this year, said, "I can’t donate often because the Blood Donation House is far, but I try to donate whenever I pass nearby." He continued, "Even if I’m healthy now, I don’t know when I might be in an emergency situation needing blood due to an accident, so it’s sad to hear about blood shortages."

Citizens say they have developed fears about blood donation since COVID-19. Office worker Park (26) said, "Because of COVID-19, I don’t visit hospitals often, so I feel reluctant to donate blood." According to the Blood Management Headquarters, nationwide blood donations have been declining since COVID-19. The number of donations dropped from 2,791,092 in 2019 to 2,611,401 last year. This year, 2,141,535 donations were recorded up to October.

The reporter also participated in blood donation for the first time in 12 years, and the process was not difficult. First, eligibility for donation is confirmed twice through electronic and face-to-face questionnaires. The questionnaire includes COVID-19 related questions, checking for symptoms, vaccination status, and whether a week has passed since vaccination. Then, blood pressure, pulse, and iron level tests are conducted before moving to the donation room. It took less than 15 minutes to donate 400 ml of whole blood. There was no concern about COVID-19 infection during the donation process. Hand sanitization, temperature checks, and mask-wearing are mandatory, and no food other than water is allowed. Additionally, disinfection is performed twice daily.

Lee Soo-kyung, a nurse at the Blood Donation House Ilsan Center, said, "Although it hasn’t happened yet, if the blood shortage worsens, surgeries except for emergency operations might be delayed." She added, "Blood cannot be artificially produced. With the year-end holidays approaching, it would be good to finish the year by volunteering through blood donation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.