Australian Red Cross: UNOFFICIAL ME/CFS donation ban

[parvofighter]

An unofficial report of the Australian Red Cross on ME/CFS eligibility to give blood. Anyone want to dig into this to verify? The Australian Red Cross website has nothing posted yet on XMRV, or ME/CFS: http://www.redcross.org.au/search/r...gqjkmhe&q=xmrv&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&cof=FORID:11#204

This from our Aussie friends: http://www.mecfs.org.au/?q=node/81
10th December 2009
The Australian Red Cross is advising people who have been diagnosed with or suspected of having ME/CFS not to donate blood. An email from the Red Cross to a potential donor on the 10th of December 2009 indicated:

"Current advice within the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is that chronic fatigue syndrome patients are not eligible to give blood until the condition is resolved and recovery confirmed by a treating doctor." (TAKE ME TO THIS DOCTOR!)

The current advice from UK Blood Services in relation to ME/CFS has been further clarified: "Individuals suffering from ME/CFS are deferred from blood donation until their condition has resolved and they are feeling completely well." (DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THESE LAST WORDS SADLY HUMOROUS?)

 

[Katie]

The current advice from UK Blood Services in relation to ME/CFS has been further clarified: "Individuals suffering from ME/CFS are deferred from blood donation until their condition has resolved and they are feeling completely well."[/I] (DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THESE LAST WORDS SADLY HUMOROUS?)

The thing is that this was the policy in the UK before XMRV. They haven't changed at all in respects to a retrovirus remaining 'post-recovery'. Retroviruses aren't curable, I don't think they seem to get that. XMRV changed nothing here.

 

[Martlet]

That is so sad. (shakes head)

 

[becc]

I'm in Australia and phoned the Red Cross 8 or 9 years ago, during a period when they were very low on blood, to ask if I could donate and was told that ME/CFS patients could not.

I wonder if they are actively asking donors if they have ME or if they are relying on individuals to take responsibility.

If I have time next week, I may phone the Red Cross in my city and try to clarify the situation.

Bec

 

[ramakentesh]

A friend donated blood In Australia a week ago and he said that CFS was never raised - they asked him whether he had ever tested positive for infectious diseases I think.

 

[heapsreal]

hi

Ive never thought of giving blood incase i passed cfs onto someone else. Even without an official diagnosis of cfs, having elevated lymphocytes should make them think i have some type of infection going on.

I have often wondered about a few docs i have seen who say im just depressed and cfs is crap, if they would take a blood transfusion from me, lol.
That way they could walk in someone elses shoes and maybe make a better doc of them, thats if they had the energy to work, lol

 

[ramakentesh]

HAHA - yeah ' Id say - ok if its all in my head take a blood transfusion from me AND some of my IVIG antibodies' (just to make sure).