Donating Blood

I've been reading, and reading, and reading about how the blood banks are short on blood, especially O-neg.

I'm O-neg.

"Why don't you donate then, Mr McThag?"

I'm glad you asked that! Mad cow disease.

"What?"

Mad cow disease. I was stationed in Europe in 1988-89. I spend two weeks in Egypt in 1988. I spent six months in southwest Aisa 89-90. And I ate food that did not entirely originate inside the US, possibly including beef or beef byproducts.

I would happily donate blood tomorrow, but they consider me to be high risk. Along with IV drug users.

When I ask, "Has there even been a single case of transmission of this disease from donated blood?" I get a, "Not that we're aware of, but it's possible."

I don't think that it is, but paranoia from the HIV transmission has created a policy that means that almost every veteran is not forbidden to donate blood. By the way, active duty troops are encouraged to donate, and they ate the same places I ate and there hasn't been a single case of a soldier catching it from donated blood either, and Lord knows we've been using the blood.