Korean Red Cross: "COVID-19 is not a blood-borne infectious disease... Unrelated to blood donation"

Amid an emergency in blood supply due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the blood storage at the Seoul Central Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is running low on the 11th. According to a blood center official, as of 2 p.m. nationwide on that day, the blood stock was at 2.5 days' worth, which is far below the adequate blood stock level of more than 5 days on average per day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] The Korean Red Cross has stated that claims circulating that blood from people vaccinated against COVID-19 is managed separately are baseless rumors.

On the 21st, the Korean Red Cross said, "Amid a critical shortage of blood supply due to a sharp decline in donors caused by the spread of Omicron and other factors, baseless rumors such as 'blood from vaccinated individuals is managed separately' and 'donating blood can cause COVID-19 infection' have been circulating online," adding, "These are unfounded rumors."

The Blood Management Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross emphasized, "The procedures for managing blood from vaccinated and unvaccinated donors are the same throughout the entire process from donation to transfusion, and there is no separate management," and added, "COVID-19 is not a blood-borne infectious disease, so it is not directly related to blood donation."

They expressed concern that if indiscriminate rumors continue to spread and blood donations decrease, emergency patients in need of transfusions could suffer harm.

The Blood Management Headquarters stated, "This is a serious blood shortage situation that could potentially paralyze the normal blood supply system," and earnestly requested, "We sincerely ask for active participation in blood donation to ensure that patients' lives are not threatened due to blood shortages."