Caution Regarding Red Cross Blood Donation

 

Caution Regarding Red Cross Blood Donation

July 30, 2021

 

Writes my friend:

Hi Lew,

I donated blood to the Red Cross a few weeks ago.  Today I got an email from someone at the Red Cross inviting me to take a survey on Covid-19.  When I followed the link for the survey I was shocked to see the following:

We are contacting you because you tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (i.e. we did not detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in your blood). Antibodies generally are detectable if one has been infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in the past or received a COVID-19 vaccine.

This bothers me on several points.  First, is this an initial step towards using the Red Cross to persuade me to take the vaccine?  Second, this seems to be an invasion of privacy.  Third, it makes me wonder who else they have shared this information with.

I didn’t go any further with the survey.  I will no longer donate blood to the Red Cross.