Give blood to fight dengue
Jamaicans are being urged to donate blood to help in the fight against dengue fever.
“Platelets that are made from blood are needed by the body to help with clotting of the blood if there is bleeding. Platelets are usually affected in the patients who are diagnosed with a severe dengue infection,” said Dr Alisha Tucker, acting director for the National Blood Transfusion Service.
“If someone has a low platelet count because of a severe dengue infection, they will need platelets in order to help to prevent bleeding or to help stop bleeding if they are now having symptoms from the low platelet count,” she added.
She said that an average of 5-10 persons make donations in any one of the blood collection centres in Jamaica, and this is not enough meet the increased demand.
Source: jamaica-star.com