Can I Donate Blood if I Have Traveled Overseas - American Red Cross #BloodMyths

So you traveled to India. Yes. And where in India did you visit? It's a long one. We're going to start with Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai. Oh my god. Good morning everyone. This is David Hoffman from David's Been Here. I'm currently at Miami International Airport, which is basically my second home at this point, and today I'm traveling to Boston to shoot a very special video. I've teamed up with the American Red Cross to dispel the myth that you can't donate blood if you've traveled overseas. As you guys probably know, I've traveled extensively over the past two decades, and today I'm going to show you that you may still get blood even if you travel a lot. The American Red Cross provides about 40% of the nation's blood. They provide life-saving services to a wide variety of people, including accident victims, cancer patients, and those suffering from sickle cell disease, among others. Unfortunately, with so many people in need of blood, right now only 3% of eligible donors donate blood every year. Hopefully we can change that and get more people to donate and save some lives. So now that you're in on the myth buster, are you guys ready to travel with me to Boston? Let's do this. Let's go, Boston. It's been a while. This is actually my fourth time going to Boston. Three and a half hour flight? Not so bad. I am traveling to Boston because I'm visiting my cousin for his birthday, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to donate blood. It's really, really quick. Only a three hour flight. Miami is like sunny, super hot. You get here to Boston and it's like nippy. It's a little cold. It's rainy. But I still love this city. This city is one of my favorite cities in America. You know, the north end, downtown area is really epic and the food is amazing. And yeah guys, it's been a long time since I've given blood. I think it's been like 10 years. It's been a really, really long time. And yeah, so we're going to catch our car right now. We're going straight to the American Red Cross Center. Let's go give some blood. The American Red Cross Center we're going to is right up here in the downtown area. And north of it is like the north end. The north end is actually the oldest part of Boston. People have been living up in here since 1630. So almost 400 years. There's actually 12 different historical sites that are part of the National Register of Historical Places. It's really an amazing spot. Like you guys have to come here when you go to Boston. I really love it. And it's changed so much downtown. Super high rises. They keep growing and growing. And if you guys don't know about Boston, it's like the best place, especially for colleges. Like if you're going to go to a college in America, definitely go to Boston. Boston is really where it's at. And here we are, American Red Cross Center. Let's go give some blood. Okay, so after a quick drive, we're here at the American Red Cross Center. I'm very excited. I'm really hoping I can get blood today. I really want to get blood. You save three lives with every donation. When you arrive at an American Red Cross Center, you'll be asked some personal questions regarding your health and travels before you donate. But remember, it's only to ensure that it's safe for someone else to receive your blood and it's for a great cause. There are a few things that can cause a potential donor to be deferred from donating blood for months. If you spend an extended period of time in a country where mad cow disease has been found, like the Czech Republic, Spain, and Germany, then you are not eligible to donate. Also, if you have contracted the Zika virus, you should wait 120 days after your symptoms disappear before you're allowed to donate blood. But if you've had Ebola, you cannot donate blood. But even if you're ineligible to donate, for whatever reason, you can still help the cause by volunteering, donating money, or hosting a blood drive through the American Red Cross. All right, guys, so I arrived here to the American Red Cross Center. And right now what I'm doing is basically just scanning to see all the places I've traveled to in the past 12 months because certain places have malaria. So if I've traveled to certain places, I might not be able to give blood today. I'm really hoping that I pass all this. It's not looking good, is it? I don't know. I've been to a lot of places in India, which are really high risk. Also, Suriname as well. We'll see. We'll see. So, I mean, in 12 months is really like the cutoff. So you said 12 months in a day is usually... From when you came back. So, all right, let's see. I'm hoping I can give blood today. I came ready to give blood. Yes, you did. You came to do a great thing, and it's okay if you can't. I saved three lives? Yes. With one blood donation? Everybody should do it. That's crazy. Everybody should do it. So where in South Korea did you go? I went to Busan and Seoul and a place called Daegu. So you traveled to India? Yes. And where in India did you visit? It's a long one. I'll just start with Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai. Oh, my God. They're like all there. They're all there. I got back about 10 months ago, so I think I'm being deferred today. Yes, you are, unfortunately. What? So, because a lot of the places that you visited, it seems like every place that you visited in India is actually a 12-month deferral. So since you went to India about 10 months ago, the date that you came back, you're going to add a date to it, and then a full 12 months. So it'll be a year and a day from when you're able to donate again. Now, that clock will start again, say you go to Punta Pana. People don't know it, but that's a malaria-risk area in the Dominican Republic. So your clock starts back to when you come back into the United States from visiting a malaria-risk area. Oh, my God. I'm getting deferred? Yeah, you are. Instead of Boston, you get deferred? I know. Sorry. So think about it. It's just for your safety and the safety of our donors. So, unfortunately, I have been deferred. I am so disappointed. But, you know, that's what happens when you visit places that are not malaria-free. This year alone, I've been to Uzbekistan, Suriname, India, Japan, Korea. And there's certain cities in India where actually, you know, those were the issues. A few cities where they're not malaria-free. There's actually, I think, six cities I visited this year where they're not malaria-free. So I was completely deferred. And I have to wait a year, so 12 months and a day from the day I got back to the States. So I have to wait until November 24th of this year to do it. So in about two and a half months, I'll be able to give blood. But, you know, it's fine. There's still tons of destinations from around the world you can still visit like these. Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and many more. So remember, don't think you can't donate blood if you've traveled. So, look up the nearest American Red Cross location to you and take the steps to donate some blood. And even if you can't donate, remember, you can always volunteer, donate money, or host a blood drive through the American Red Cross. Well, guys, I hope you loved this video. If you did, please give me a thumbs up, leave me a comment below, and subscribe to my channel for more awesome travel content. I'll see you in the next Travel Food Adventure Somewhere Around the World. Bye-bye.