Blood Banks Rejecting Donors Who Have Visited Zika-Affected Areas To Protect Supply
Life Stream, a nonprofit that operates donor centers in San Bernardino, Ontario, Riverside, Victorville and La Quinta, and supplies blood products to more than 80 Southern California hospitals, is following guidance from the American Red Cross to have potential donors who have traveled to afflicted countries wait 28 days before giving blood.
Los Angeles Daily News:
Some Southern California Blood Donors Asked To Postpone Giving Amid Zika Concerns
On the same day Texas health officials announced the first U.S. Zika virus transmission contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, local blood banks asked prospective donors Tuesday who have traveled to affected countries to postpone giving for about a month. The American transmission of the Zika virus involved a Dallas County resident who had sexual contact with someone who acquired the infection while traveling in Venezuela, Texas health officials said. (Abram, 2/2)
STAT:
Blood Banks Turning Patients Away Over Zika Virus Concerns
Blood banks in the United States and Canada have begun turning away prospective donors who have visited Latin America in the past four weeks to avoid contaminating the blood supply with the Zika virus, according to officials with the group that represents nearly all of the blood donation centers in the United States. (Kaplan, 2/3)
Meanwhile, LA County officials try to soothe fears about the virus —
KPCC:
Officials Say Zika Can Be Curbed By Fighting Mosquitoes And Deferring Travel
Los Angeles County public health officials Wednesday suggested there's no reason to panic about the Zika virus, saying there are steps the public can take to ensure the disease doesn't take hold in Southern California. (Plevin, 2/3)