PremiumCovid-19: The Blood Center of Shandong Province, the second most populous in China, has issued red alert warnings for insufficient inventory for two blood types in recent days.
A rapid increase in China's Covid-19 infections is causing blood shortages at hospitals across multiple provinces and cities, underscoring challenges faced by the nation's healthcare system.
The Blood Center of Shandong Province, the second most populous in China, has issued red alert warnings for insufficient inventory for two blood types in recent days, Bloomberg reported, citing China National Radio.
The state-owned media, citing officials, said that fewer people went on the streets due to the Covid situation and the cold weather, while early holidays at universities also reduced the pool of student donors.
According to the report, a red alert is the highest level of warning, which means the blood in store can only meet the dosage of acute and critically ill patients for three days.
Following the situation, the Health Commission of Suzhou city in the eastern province of Anhui called for a voluntary blood situation, as per the official statement available on its website on December 20.
The Covid pandemic posted an “enormous challenge" to blood collection, resulting in tightness of supply in medical treatment, the statement read.
Currently, China is witnessing a wave of infections after the country relaxed most pandemic controls last month. Covid cases have surged in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai, where patients are flocking into hospitals and unprepared residents are scrambling for medicines.
The country reported 4,128 new symptomatic Covid-19 infections on December 23, compared with 3,761 a day earlier. Excluding imported infections, China reported 4,103 new local cases, up from 3,696 previous day.
Earlier this month, China revised guidelines allowing people who developed Covid with no critical symptoms to donate blood seven days after they test negative through a nuclear acid test or antigen test. The previous rule had barred even those in close contact with Covid patients from giving blood.
(With Bloomberg inputs)