Shenzhen Blood Center on Monday afternoon provided clarification amidst doubts about blood donation frequency, emphasizing that platelet donations can be made up to 24 times a year, compared to a maximum of four times a year for whole blood donations in accordance with Shenzhen's voluntary blood donation regulations.
The clarification follows a post by a netizen on Toutiao, a popular Chinese news aggregator, expressing skepticism about the accuracy of the donation figures presented in a public service poster commemorating the 30th anniversary of Shenzhen Blood Center. According to the poster, as of May 2023, eight employees at the center had donated blood more than 100 times, with the highest individual tally reaching 276 donations.
The netizen questioned the authenticity of these numbers, asserting that they defy common sense. He pointed out that even with 30 years of continuous blood donation, the average number of donations per year would have to be 9.2 times.
In response, Shenzhen Blood Center clarified that the employees in question had been donating blood for several years, primarily platelets rather than whole blood. The center highlighted the distinction between whole blood donations and apheresis donations, with the latter involving specific blood components. The frequency recommendations differ based on China’s blood donation laws and Shenzhen's voluntary blood donation regulations.
China's blood donation law allows a maximum of two whole blood donations per year, while Shenzhen's regulations permit up to four. However, for platelet donations, a minimum two-week interval is required, allowing up to 24 donations annually.
Acknowledging the need for clarity, the center announced plans to redesign the poster to explicitly differentiate between whole blood and apheresis donations, addressing misunderstandings among netizens.
Zhou Shiqiao with the Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University emphasized the versatility of whole blood donations, which can be used in its original form or separated into red cells, plasma, and platelets to benefit multiple patients.
"Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that form clots and stop bleeding. A platelet donation can provide a full dose of platelets for a patient. It is also a safe process," Zhou said.
"That person should have done a better research instead of just throwing stones," Heráclito Everson Biscaia Filho from Brazil told Shenzhen Daily in an interview. The Brazilian is a frequent platelet donor and has been donating blood about once a month in Shenzhen since 2013.
Biscaia said he made his 63rd blood donation at Nanshan Blood Donation Station in Nanshan District on Dec. 10 and is planning to donate platelets again this Sunday.