The Instituto Português do Sangue appealed for the donation, remembering that its reserves last between 4 and 19 days and that the most affected blood groups are A positive, A negative, O negative and B negative.
In a note sent to the newsrooms, the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation (IPST) warns that the months of January and February are “particularly demanding for the maintenance of blood reserves at comfortable levels”, due to the cold and colds , underlining that, this year, the situation is made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, the containment measures and the rules to ensure safety for donors and professionals.
According to IPST data, as of January 19, the blood group "A positive", the most prevalent in the Portuguese population, has a reserve for four days, and "O negative" (universal donor) and "B negative" exist. reservation for five days.
“However, the national strategic reserve, which also takes into account the reserves existing in hospitals, is from 12 to 35 days, depending on the blood groups. Despite the suspension of non-urgent scheduled activity in some hospitals, the daily need for blood components remains”, stresses the IPST.
The institute asks for blood to be given, recalling that "even in times of pandemic it is possible to continue to help save lives, since all measures were reinforced in the harvest sites so that the act is carried out safely" and the displacement for the purpose donations are permitted by the authorities.
To be a blood donor, you just need to be between 18 and 65 years old (the age limit for the first donation is 60 years old), weighing 50 kg or more and having healthy lifestyle habits.
On Tuesday, the Portuguese Federation of Benevolent Blood Donors (Fepodabes) had called for blood donation, warning that several blood groups have national reserves of less than seven days.
“The national blood reserves are currently showing worrying levels in several blood groups. Even in a pandemic, hospitals continue to need blood to meet the needs of their patients”, warns the Federation, asking the Portuguese to keep their donations.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, the president of the Federation explained that groups A positive, O negative and B negative are the ones that worry the most because they only have reservations for four days, while O positive, A negative and AB negative “are a little bit better, but they are not good”.
The official also said that due to the pandemic, the mobile units circulating in the big cities are not working as well as there are difficulties in finding places for the harvest, namely fire stations, as long as the Covid-19 situation remains.
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