Topic Of The Day :-“Hiv Reality Check”
Two Lives, Of A Donor And A Recipient, Are Devastated By Lapses In Blood Screening
A 23-year-old pregnant woman in Tamil Nadu tested positive for HIV after receiving a unit of blood at a government hospital blood bank, indicating glaring lapses in screening procedures. The blood was donated on November 30 and transfused to the pregnant woman on December 3. Testing all donated blood units for a number of transfusion-transmissible infections, including HIV, is mandatory in India. The ELISA test used in all blood banks to screen for HIV has very high levels of sensitivity to diagnose samples positive for the virus. It can be said with certainty that the blood bank had failed to screen the blood for HIV. The question of testing the donated blood for HIV during the window period (the time between potential exposure to HIV and when the test reveals for sure if the person has HIV) does not arise as the donor’s HIV-positive status became known in 2016 when he donated blood at the same blood bank. Since 2004, prior to donation, all blood banks are required to obtain from donors written consent as to whether they wish to be informed about a positive test result. In case a donor tests positive for HIV, blood banks are required to refer the donors to designated voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTCs) for disclosure and counselling. That the blood bank tried but failed to contact the donor in 2016 indicates that the donor had consented to be informed of a positive result. In a further tragictwist, he found out elsewhere that he was HIV-positive, and dutifully contacted the hospital on December 10, but his blood had already been transfused by then. On Sunday he passed away after consuming poison.Studies show that blood banks in India have a success rate of less than 50% in contacting donors who have tested positive for transfusion-transmissible infections.Under the 2004 National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) Action Plan, VCTCs are required to inform the blood bank of a donor’s HIV-positive status to stop the person from donating blood in the future only when the confirmatory test done at the VCTC too is positive. Since only half of the consented donors are contactable and even fewer visit a VCTC, it is imperative that NACO finds a viable alternative without compromising the donor’s identity. The focus should also be on creating awareness among donors to visit a VCTC to confirm their HIV status when alerted by blood banks. After all, timely confirmation helps donors start on early treatment to keep the virus under check and take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of infecting their partners and others through sexual and other kinds of contact and through blood donation. After winning aprotracted battle to keep away professional donors from donating blood by encouragingvoluntary donation, it is time blood banks and NACO worked to make safe blood availability a reality at all times.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) glaring
Meaning : giving out or reflecting a strong or dazzling light.(adj)
Synonyms : blatant
Antonyms : concealed
Example : “the glaring sun”
2) transfused
Meaning : transfer (blood or its components) from one person or animal to another.
Synonyms : suffuse
Antonyms : aid
Example : “it is usual to transfuse blood screened for cytomegalovirus”
3) exposure
Meaning : the state of having no protection from something harmful.(n)
Synonyms : disclosure
Antonyms : certainty
Example :”the dangers posed by exposure to asbestos”
4) reveal
Meaning : make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others.
Synonyms : acknowledge
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “Brenda was forced to reveal Robbie’s whereabouts”
5) consent
Meaning : permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.
Synonyms : approval
Antonyms : denial
Example : “no change may be made without the consent of all the partners”
6) disclosure
Meaning : the action of making new or secret information known.
Synonyms : admission
Antonyms : concealment
Example : “a judge ordered the disclosure of the government documents”
7) donating
Meaning : give (money or goods) for a good cause, for example to a charity.
Synonyms : award
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “the proceeds will be donated to an AIDS awareness charity”
8) tragic
Meaning : causing or characterized by extreme distress or sorrow.(adj)
Synonyms : deplorable
Antonyms : blessed
Example : “the shooting was a tragic accident”
9) contacting
Meaning : communicate with (someone), typically in order to give or receive information.(v)
Synonyms : influence
Antonyms : avoidance
Example : “anyone with any information should contact Darlington police”
10) fewer
Meaning : a small number of.
Synonyms : less
Antonyms : major
Example : “may I ask a few questions?”
11) imperative
Meaning : of vital importance; crucial.
Synonyms : compulsory
Antonyms : inessential
Example : “immediate action was imperative”
12) viable
Meaning : capable of working successfully; feasible.
Synonyms : feasible
Antonyms : unlikely
Example : “the proposed investment was economically viable”
13) transmissible
Meaning : capable of working successfully; feasible.
Synonyms : conveyance
Example : “the proposed investment was economically viable”
14) diagnose
Meaning : identify the nature of (an illness or other problem) by examination of the symptoms.
Synonyms : analyze
Antonyms : miss
Example : “two doctors failed to diagnose a punctured lung”
15) awareness
Meaning : knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
Synonyms : appreciation
Antonyms : disregard
Example : “we need to raise public awareness of the issue”
16) confirm
Meaning : establish the truth or correctness of (something previously believed or suspected to be the case).
Synonyms : affirm
Antonyms : confuse
Example : “if these fears are confirmed, the outlook for the economy will be dire”
17) precautionary
Meaning : carried out as a precaution; preventive.
Synonyms : careful
Example : “she was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure”
18) protracted
Meaning : lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.
Synonyms : continued
Example : “a protracted and bitter dispute”
19) encouraging
Meaning : giving someone support or confidence; supportive.
Synonyms : hopeful
Antonyms : hopeless
Example : “she gave me an encouraging smile”
38) designated
Meaning : appoint (someone) to a specified office or post.
Synonyms : nominate
Example : “he was designated as prime minister”
39) mandatory
Meaning : required by law or mandate; compulsory.(adj)
Synonyms : binding
Antonyms : optional
Example : “wearing helmets was made mandatory for pedal cyclists”
40) indicating
Meaning : required by law or mandate; compulsory.
Synonyms : announce
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “wearing helmets was made mandatory for pedal cyclists”
