BEIJING - Fast-spreading Covid-19 infections in China are causing blood shortages at hospitals across multiple provinces and cities, underscoring challenges faced by the nation’s healthcare system.
The Blood Centre of Shandong Province, the second-most populous in China, has issued red alert warnings for insufficient inventory for two blood types in recent days, China National Radio reported.
Fewer people were donating due to the Covid-19 situation and cold weather, while early holidays at universities also reduced the pool of student donors, the state-owned media organisation said, citing officials.
Red alert is the highest level of warning, which means that blood in storage can only meet the required dosage for acute and critically ill patients for three days, according to the report.
The Health Commission of Suzhou city in the eastern province of Anhui called for voluntary blood donation in a Dec 20 statement on its official website.
The Covid-19 pandemic posed an “enormous challenge” to blood collection, resulting in tightness of supply for medical treatment, the statement said.
China is experiencing a wave of infections after it rapidly relaxed most pandemic controls.
Covid-19 cases have surged in major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, where patients are flocking to hospitals and unprepared residents are scrambling for medicines.
Growing stress on the nation’s health system adds to fears the reopening might lead to more severe cases and deaths, although not all fatalities are captured in official reports.
Earlier this month, China revised guidelines allowing people who developed Covid-19 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 a Covid-19 patient from giving blood.
China reported zero new Covid-19 deaths for Friday, the same number as the previous day, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
The country reported 4,128 new symptomatic Covid-19 infections on Friday, compared with 3,761 a day earlier.
Excluding imported infections, China reported 4,103 new local cases, up from 3,696 a day earlier.
Severe cases rose by 99 across China on Friday, versus an increase of 42 the previous day.
China does not provide absolute figures for severe cases.
As of Dec 23, mainland China had confirmed 397,195 cases with symptoms.
Official figures have become an unreliable guide, as less testing is being done across the country following the recent easing of zero-Covid policies. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS