Monday, December 14, around 6 p.m. donors were still numerous in the village hall. The medical team from the French Blood Establishment (EFS) had settled there early in the afternoon and welcomed the eighty-seven donors, including six new ones.
Audrey Marron is responsible for promoting blood donation in the Languedoc basin.
“During the first confinement, it was difficult for us to settle in town halls or communal premises, it lasted three weeks. The collections were canceled in universities, large schools and among professionals”, explains Audrey Marron. In hospitals, non-emergency operations were suspended, car accidents fell, which allowed the EFS to keep reserves during this period. “It was in July and August that stocks were lowest. The second confinement went better, donors showed great solidarity with the medical community, and the mobilization was a success on the collections of the municipalities”, she admits.
As soon as the samples were stopped in the evening, the bags, which contained about 450 ml of blood each, were sent to the preparation center in Toulouse, while the sample tubes collected at the start of the sample were sent to Montpellier. They have undergone a series of biological tests to check the blood group and to detect viruses (hepatitis, HIV, malaria, etc.) or bacteria which circulate in the blood. “If the results show an abnormality, the corresponding blood bag is discarded and the donor notified. Otherwise the viable bag is quickly distributed to a health facility”, concludes Audrey Brown.
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