Safe Plasma Donation Post Covid Pandemic
June 27, 2023
Plasma donation has significantly helped recipients with underlying disease that impact their lives daily. Despite the fact that the pandemic assisted in increasing awareness about plasma; social isolation, cleaning practices, and a decrease in donors visiting centers have all had a negative impact on donations around Canada.
Covid 19 has been termed as the fifth pandemic to plague the world. Initially, the first case of the novel Coronavirus was identified in Canada and was reported on January 25, 2019 in a 50-year-old Toronto resident who had recently visited Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the outbreak in China. At Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, the man was isolated. The initial progression led to a wide spread of the virus around the world. Individuals, families and communities were all left in fear and worry about the virus until a vaccine was produced to allay and reduce their fears. The world was put into isolation in order to reduce the spread of the virus. There were fewer interactions of people around the communities due to the various restrictions.
Canadian Plasma Resources took action in ensuring the safety of its donors such as social distancing, hand washing and the use of a face mask. This enabled us to continue to serve our plasma recipients who depended on plasma for survival. The Canadian plasma resource also practices physical distancing while at our centers. Hand sanitizer use is required upon arrival. Additionally, to reduce traffic in our centers, we encourage donors to enter the building not more than 5 minutes before their appointment.
These plasma donation recipients include people fighting diseases such as cancer, auto immune diseases, clotting disorders, bleeding disorders and infections. These are everyday people like you and me who depend on your plasma donation to maintain the quality of their lives and to live fulfilling lives. With the introduction of the 5th booster vaccine, we have seen a significant increase in the number of donors coming into our facility in order to donate plasma.
The eligibility process still remains the same, however we have included more safety measures to ensure your safety while you donate. Also, according to CBC, the incidence of Coronavirus has reduced drastically as compared to when it first emerged. Hence, it is safer to donate. We appreciate your donations each day and are thankful for your contributions in making the world a better place of our various plasma recipients.
