Unveiling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donation patterns: A Greek perspective.

BACKGROUND

Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been shown to negatively affect blood donation worldwide, the purpose of this study was to assess its impact on voluntary blood donation in Greece from March 2020 to October 2021.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 764 prospective blood donors (37.3 % men, 62.7 % women). The study utilized a specially developed questionnaire, and the results were statistically analyzed using a two-sided significance level set at 0.05.

RESULTS

Most donors had been informed about blood donation from family/friends (29.5 %). While 83.6 % of the respondents had given blood in the past, only 39.8 % were regular voluntary donors. During the pandemic, 52.2 % of respondents did not donate blood, while 29.3 % cited a relative/friend needing blood. Notably, 95.2 % expressed their willingness to donate if a friend/relative required blood during this period. Donors who had given blood in the past avoided donation during the pandemic (p < 0.001), but voluntary blood donors had a lower degree of re-duction in contrast to family blood donors (p < 0.001). Specifically, family blood donors, who would have donated blood before the pandemic, reduced blood donations (p = 0.027). Finally, blood donors whose lives were affected by the pandemic reported a greater degree of reduction in blood dona-tions.

CONCLUSION

The study underscores the significant impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the frequency of blood donation. Despite a reduction in donations, the findings reveal that volunteer blood donors would positively respond to familial needs during the challenging circumstances of the pandemic.