Although there has been no evidence of transfusion-transmitted SARS-CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19 and the U.S. blood supply is extraordinarily safe, a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation that included researchers at ABC members Vitalant, New York Blood Center, and Bloodworks Northwest sought to assess to what degree SARS-CoV-2 could find its way into the blood supply from pre-symptomatic donors, and what if any impact it could have on patient care. The first-of-its-kind study, was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, and Grifols Diagnostic Solutions, Inc. It was conducted through the REDS-IV-P program and used blood plasma samples from 2,250 blood donors throughout the U.S. who reported COVID-19 symptoms or diagnosis after donating blood. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in up to 15 percent of the samples that were acquired before widespread vaccination. However, susceptible cell lines or mice exposed to the samples remained virus free. These findings suggest blood plasma collected by blood centers from donors with pre-symptomatic COVID-19 continues to be highly unlikely to transmit SARS CoV-2 infection.
