Kösching: ‘Because it makes sense and is necessary!’ – Even in times of corona, there is a great willingness to donate blood

In Corona times, the willingness to be drawn off the red juice of life has apparently even increased.

Anna Huber (23) and her sister Sophia (22) want to donate blood for the first time this year. After they have registered with Sabine Ring from the Koesching medical service with their identity cards and have read and filled in a two-page “Information on education and consent for whole blood donors” and a health questionnaire, the two sisters have to wait briefly for the hemoglobin test. “Our grandfather only had a major operation during which he received blood products,” replies Anna when asked what motivated her to make the first donation. Her parents also regularly went to donate blood. “And everyone knows that donating blood is important,” she explains, while her sister Sophia – “she made me do it, but now she’s more nervous than me,” reveals Anna – already bravely her right hand under a plexiglass to get a prick of the finger to determine the hemoglobin value. “We need four drops of blood from you,” says the employee of the blood donation service as he scratches the fingertip of the middle finger with a scalpel. The result: the HB value fits both and both have the same blood group. “It will now be glued to your sample, but it will be determined exactly again in the laboratory,” explains the Pikser, and then we go on to the doctor’s consultation, which ends with a surprise for Anna: “I am not allowed to donate, Dad, because of a vaccination “, she calls out to her father Karl, audibly disappointed, who has already finished and has just put his docket in the box at the end of the donation tour. Together, they both keep their fingers crossed for Sophia from a distance, who can see the tension in the complexion.

Kösching

Hans-Peter Veith, on the other hand, already has routine. The 29-year-old is having his blood drawn for the 15th time. He has the impression that more young people are now going to donate blood, says the Appertshofen native, who came to donate blood through his parents when he was 18. He cannot confirm whether it is because people have more free time because of Corona. “I take the time because it makes sense and is necessary,” says Veith while he kneads a pack of paper tissues to pump the blood faster through the thin cannula.

Ingrid Wachter does that too, but with her it wouldn’t be necessary, the donation bag fills so quickly with 500 milliliters of vital juice. “When I made my first donation in the 1980s, I passed out after I had a finger prick,” says the 58-year-old with a laugh. She only dared a second attempt 20 years ago after receiving a call from her company and has been a regular since then. “But to this day I still can’t look at the jump-off,” she happily admits.

Kösching

Under Corona conditions, the Köschinger is now for the third time. The first time you stood in the aisles for an hour, but now with the online appointments “everything is great”, she emphasizes: “After five minutes I was on the couch!” As a present she will get “a bottle of wine” take home. Instead of the hot Viennese, the sausages are now served cold as a packed lunch. Wachter does not miss the usual sitting together. In contrast to Karl Huber. While he was waiting for his daughters, the 64-year-old hobby cook at Christine Liefelt’s table from the BRK readiness team chose a bottle of rapeseed oil. He takes the Viennese with him. “But it was more sociable with the warm snack,” says Huber. “You met up with friends to chat.”

Ingrid Wachter has already entered the next donation date in Kösching on July 14th in her calendar. “Because you should drink a lot beforehand.” There is no question that she will be there again: “If you need a bottle of blood yourself, you’re happy!” Karl Huber can only confirm that: “And besides, one should Bloodletting can be healthy too! “

“The virus cannot be transmitted by blood”

Kösching – “Blood donations also have to be in Corona times, where else do you get the blood”, says Andrea Hörauf from the BRK district association in Eichstätt. She organizes the voluntary helpers who take care of the registration and care of the blood donors. The temperature of those willing to donate is measured – for the safety of others and the staff – but there is no corona test. “The virus cannot be transmitted through blood,” explains Gerd Weideneder, who, as the fee-paying doctor, is in charge of the blood donation service. At the same time, he points out that all the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute would be implemented: Plexiglass panes separate staff and blood donors who now have to wear FFP2 masks during registration, HB test and consultation with a doctor. A minimum distance is observed between the loungers, and visitors are on a circular path so that they do not meet.
However, online registration has the greatest effect, as it avoids waiting times. “There is always a high risk of infection when people are together for more than 15 minutes,” emphasizes Weideneder. “The appointment reservation is well received and will be retained,” predicts Edmund Chmeliczek, who is responsible for Region 10 as the area officer at the blood donation service. “The country supplies the cities,” he knows from experience. The Eichstätt district is one of the record holders with 11,000 donors per year. In the districts of Pfaffenhofen, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen and Kelheim there are around 7,000, in Ingolstadt just 4,000. Kue

DK

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