The FDA has changed blood donation guidelines as US blood supplies decrease amid the coronavirus pandemic
The US Food and Drug Administration issued new blood donation eligibility guidance Thursday as US blood supplies decrease amid the coronavirus pandemic. The changes are to be implemented immediately and are expected to remain in place after the pandemic ends.
The FDA has guidelines in place to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV through blood, and is shortening its recommended blood donation deferral period for some groups: For male donors who have been had sex with another man, female donors who would have been deferred for having sex with a man who had sex with another man and for those who recently got tattoos or piercings, the recommended blood donation deferral period changes from 12 months to three months.
"We should all practice social distancing, but it's important to know that blood drives are not considered"mass gatherings" because they are controlled events with trained staff and appropriate safety measures to protect donors and recipients," the agency said on its website.
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