Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - Friday, February 15, 1985
Red Cross officials said they have planned an intricate phase-in period for the test in all of their 57 blood regions and should complete the process within three months of the test's availability.
"Our first priority is to ensure the safety of transfusions," said Dr. S. Gerald Sandler, associate vice president for medical operations. "Even though the test is not perfect, it makes it possible to protect the blood supply."
The Health and Human Services Department announced Wednesday that licensing of the screening test, expected to be approved by mid-February, would be delayed for "additional weeks" while the latest data were reviewed.
Meanwhile, health officials with the government and concerned private groups continue making plans for using the test when it becomes available.
Victor W. Schmitt, a Red Cross vice president, told a briefing that the testing could add between 10 percent and 20 percent to the cost of collecting and processing blood, which is now about $60 per unit. The added costs will be passed on to users.
The organization collects about six million units annually, about half the nation's total blood supply, he said.
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a disease that destroys the body's protective immune system, leaving victims vulnerable to other diseases and infections.
Scientists say the disease spreads through intimate contact with a victim or carrier's bodily fluids, such as blood and semen. Government figures show that as of last month, 113 of these cases are attributed to transfusions of blood or blood products.
The federal Centers for Disease Control says more than 8,000 AIDS cases have been reported in the United States since 1981, claiming almost 3,900 lives.
Scientists believed AIDS is caused by a virus called HTLV-III. The blood test is designed to detect antibodies indicating past exposure to the virus, but not the virus itself or presence of the disease.
When chemicals are added to samples, technicians will look for a change in color that indicates the presence of HTLV-III antibodies. Samples that prove positive will be retested to confirm the color change, said Red Cross scientists.
Positive results indicate only that people have been exposed to the virus at some point in their lives. They do not tell if someone is infected or if the person will later develop the disease.
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