Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Rhino Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv Subject: Re: NHS tainted blood scandal Date: Wed, 22 May 2024 13:21:48 -0400 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 66 Message-ID: <20240522132148.000021c1@example.com> References: <20240521151832.0000560c@example.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Wed, 22 May 2024 19:21:49 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="d17e0efafb0c4faa6ddc7bd03ee7c9d2"; logging-data="1356076"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX188kxqHSK0l78oNQrlxxMbzwy/9xZFBQJ0=" Cancel-Lock: sha1:HTxYvaQmm6Kdp4B64rXxf7nik5Y= X-Antivirus-Status: Clean X-Antivirus: Avast (VPS 240522-2, 5/22/2024), Outbound message X-Newsreader: Claws Mail 4.2.0 (GTK 3.24.41; x86_64-w64-mingw32) Bytes: 3841 On Tue, 21 May 2024 19:30:45 -0000 (UTC) "Adam H. Kerman" wrote: > Rhino wrote: > >Tue, 21 May 2024 09:01:16 -0000 (UTC) Adam H. Kerman > >: > > >>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