Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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206. To ask the Minister for Health the HSE policy in relation to those with long-Covid giving blood donations; if there is a policy that long-Covid patients should not give blood; if so, if staff at blood donation centres are aware of this; and if measures are in place in relation to those who have undiagnosed long-Covid who have donated blood. [36326/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) are the statutory body with the responsibility for the supply of blood and blood products in Ireland.

The IBTS has advised that it has specific guidelines on the eligibility of donors who have had Covid-19. All donors who have had Covid-19 must be fully recovered for at least one week before they can donate blood. The following is the IBTS definition of full recovery:

Donors can be considered to be fully recovered if they:

- Are well and do not have continuing fatigue which affects activities of daily living.

- Do not have a fever

- Do not have respiratory symptoms such as breathlessness at rest or on exertion or difficulty breathing

- They can be accepted if they have a mild cough.

- Do not have any cardiac symptoms such as chest pain or palpitations

- Do not have ankle oedema

- Do not have thromboembolic disease

- Do not have any other symptoms that were thought to be caused by COVID-19 such as headaches or dizziness or changes in sensation in their arms or legs (i.e. Central or peripheral neurological complications).

- Some donors may have changes to their taste or smell, that continue for weeks after their other symptoms have resolved. These donors can be considered to be recovered for the purposes of donating blood or platelets or other components

If a donor has long-Covid he/she is not eligible to donate. An individual clinical assessment will be made on any donor who has made a full recovery from long-Covid, to determine if the donor is eligible to donate and if so how long he/she will be deferred for post recovery.

To date, Covid-19 has not been shown to have been transmitted by blood transfusion; therefore the guidance on long-Covid relates to donor safety rather than the safety of the donation.