This statement follows the referral of the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) by the General Directorate of Health requesting an update of its previous recommendations on the preventive measures to be implemented for blood and tissue donations, in the light of the current evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic. The French Blood Establishment (EFS) has warned of a steady decline by the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 of the stocks of red blood cells, which have reached a historically low level and could lead to a possible delivery shortage. According to the EFS, this situation is linked with two conditions:

• an under-attendance to blood donation following a self-exclusion of donors or to the 14-day postponement required for candidates to donation who are Covid-19 contact cases;
• a limited supply of products due to the absenteeism of personnel who are not allowed to work in case of Covid-19 positivity, even if asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic.

The Biomedicine Agency has also reported difficulties in obtaining tissues from donors (living or deceased).

The HCSP has taken into account:

• the scientific data according to which there is to date no clinical observation of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from a donor to a recipient, whatever the product derived from the human body considered,
• the high level of vaccination coverage of the French population,
• the new doctrines for the isolation of Covid-19 cases and the quarantine of contact persons,
• the serious risk of shortage of blood products and tissues from living or deceased donors.

The HCSP recommends:

1. For candidates for blood donation with a complete vaccination scheme according to the current official criteria :

• a deferral of 7 full days for candidates who have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2;
• no deferral for candidates who are contact cases.

2. For candidates for blood donation who are not vaccinated or who received an incomplete vaccination scheme according to the current official criteria :

• a deferral of 10 full days for applicants who have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2;
• a deferral of 7 full days for applicants who are contact cases.

3. For tissue donors, the donor selection process must be carried out:

• either by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 genome in a nasopharyngeal swab by gene amplification within 48 hours prior to donation;
• or by carrying out an antigenic test on the day of the collection of the specimen using a nasal or a nasopharyngeal swab;

The withdrawal period is reduced from 14 days to 10 days for donor candidates who have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2;

There is no deferral period for donor candidates who are contact cases, provided that they test negative at the time of donation by antigenic test.