Re: NHS tainted blood scandal

On Tue, 21 May 2024 19:30:45 -0000 (UTC)
"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

Tue, 21 May 2024 09:01:16 -0000 (UTC) Adam H. Kerman
<ahk@chinet.com>: 

 

All hail socialized medicine. This is so much worse than the
subpostmaster scandal. 

 

Did you watch Mr Bates vs The Post Office when it aired on PBS last
month? Just curious.... 

 
I discussed it on Usenet when I did.
 

I missed that thread. Do you recall the subject line or date?

. . .  

 

. . .  

 

We had a tainted blood scandal of our own and it was bad enough that
the Red Cross got out of blood collection entirely; now the new
Canadian Blood Services Agency does blood collection. 

 
There was plenty of tainted blood in the United States too.
 

After the original scandal died down, the blood supply has not been
heavily discussed but every once in a while, I see articles to the
effect that more of the restrictions against certain blood donors
have been lifted. I haven't followed the details closely but
homosexuals *are* apparently able to give blood now. 

 
We never had a restriction on other than gay men as I recall, but they
made no distinction between those with risky sex habits and those
without. Not sure there was ever an issue with lesbians as
communicable disease spread is far more difficult.
 

I'm not clear if their blood
is actually tested for HIV/AIDS though or if they just have to give a
pinky swear that they are not overly promiscuous and don't share IV
needles. 

 
If the blood from individual donors is tested BEFORE being commingled
and batched, I don't see why a restriction is necessary.
 

I really need to find out about that because one fine day I
could well end up needing a blood transfusion and I *really* don't
want to get HIV/AIDS!! I know it is not the death sentence it was
initially but I gather the treatment is not particularly pleasant and
goes on for the rest of your life so I really want to avoid all
that. 

 
If it's elective surgery with enough lead time, then make arrangements
to store your own blood.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a test done and one of the forms I filled
out said it *might* be necessary to do a transfusion; it wanted my
consent to do the transfusion. It did NOT promise that the blood supply
was free of HIV/AIDS or any of the hepatitis variants. As it turned
out, they didn't need to do a transfusion but I really don't know what
quality of blood I would have gotten. I did NOT have an option of
banking some of my own blood in advance, just in case.

--
Rhino