For the end of the year celebrations, give a rare and precious gift to the sick by donating your blood. This is what Dr. Marie-Christine Guehl recommends, responsible for samples for the Garonne basin at the French Blood Establishment in Toulouse.
And all the more so in this period when reserves are particularly low.
Interview.
At the present time, where are the blood reserves in Haute-Garonne?
I can only communicate on the scale of Occitania, since in terms of reserves and stocks, we speak in terms of the region. Currently, we are at 6850 pockets of red blood cells. Which is a level of great concern for this time of year. To calmly approach the holiday season, we would need 9,500 pockets.
How to explain this level so low?
For several weeks now, we have had a steady decline in stocks, linked to difficulties in mobilizing donors. Besides the holidays, covid is causing people to have other concerns right now. The Christmas season is traditionally difficult for us. This year, we also started from a lower level than usual.
For you, it’s clear: with the covid, people donate less blood?
This is not at all a general rule, it is very fluctuating over time, over the two years that the covid lasts. We had very different prediods, with a surge of donations during the first confinement. But since this fall, we have experienced worrying difficulties which have forced us to make several successive appeals for donations.
When you come to donate blood, there is no risk of catching covid?
No. All distancing measures are respected. This is one of our major concerns. Wearing a mask is compulsory throughout the course except during the snack break. On the other hand, we do not ask for the health pass.
If you’ve just had covid, can you donate blood?
It is necessary to observe a period of 14 days after the end of the symptoms. The same is true if you have had a positive test without symptoms.
Are the holidays really the best time to donate blood given the overeating?
There is no blood quality problem associated with the holidays. Obviously, people are not advised to donate blood immediately after a meal where they have consumed a large amount of alcohol. I want to reassure people: they can feast and come and give the next day. It is not a problem. We will welcome them with pleasure.
Precisely, where can you donate blood in Toulouse?
We have two donation houses: one at the Purpan hospital; the other in the city center, 7 rue Lapeyrouse. They are open from Monday to Saturday, including December 24 and 31. It is recommended to make an appointment, knowing that it takes 45 minutes for the entire route.
Do you also organize mobile collections?
Absolutely. We have several collections a day at the moment, including this December 24 at the rural homes of Saint-Jory and Aussonne, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. We will also be at the village hall of Saint-Sulpice-sur-Lèze, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where does the blood you collect go?
When a donor donates blood, we make three types of products with it: red blood cells which are used to treat bleeding, plasma used for immune deficiencies and platelets used in certain blood diseases or severe bleeding. Platelets have a maximum shelf life of 7 days. That of red blood cells is 42 days, and for plasma, it is a few months. This is why we must collect blood every day. So, you have to give and for the end of the year celebrations, it’s a way of giving of yourself.
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