Blood Donation Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices during COVID-19 Pandemic: Questionnaire-Based Study in Saudi Arabia

Background and Objective. Blood transfusion is an essential service for health systems all over the world, which struggle on a regular basis to strike a balance between public needs and the amount of donated blood available. The purpose of this study is to assess blood donation awareness, perception, and concepts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods. Electronic questionnaires were used to reach out to various categories of the population. The total sample size for the current study was 314 participants. A standardized questionnaire that had been pretested was used to collect data. The first section of the questionnaire includes variables relating to the study participants' sociodemographic characteristics. The second half, on the other hand, included knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) questions about blood donation during coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Results. The level of good knowledge of the blood donation process and perceptions constituted more than 52.2% and 52.9%, respectively, of the participants. The biggest motivation for the donation process was the awareness campaigns, which amounted to 52.5%, and the biggest obstacle to the blood donation procedure is the lack of health fitness. It has been found that 43.0% of those who completed the questionnaire had donated blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion. Though the high level of awareness of the importance of blood donation for COVID-19 patients, as well as the satisfaction with the experience of blood donation for patients, the level of general knowledge remains average.