Social Media Posts Falsely Claim Magic Johnson Donated Blood for People with COVID-19

SciCheck Digest

In a 2012 documentary, Magic Johnson discussed his HIV diagnosis and how it has affected his career. Social media posts are sharing an image from the documentary to falsely claim it shows Johnson donating blood for people with COVID-19. Johnson hasn’t donated HIV-infected blood for any medical reason.

How is COVID-19 transmitted?

How is COVID-19 transmitted?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets or particles when infected people cough, sneeze, talk or breathe.

Most often, transmission occurs when such droplets or particles are breathed in or land in or on a person’s eyes, nose or mouth. As a result, risk is thought to be highest when people are in close contact with one another, typically within 6 feet or so of an infected person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Especially in places with poor ventilation, however, SARS-CoV-2 can be spread through small respiratory particles that linger in the air and can reach those who are further than 6 feet away. Such airborne transmissions have occurred in enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation and have often involved exercising, shouting or singing by an infected person. “Prolonged exposure to these conditions, typically more than 15 minutes,” the CDC says, raises the risk of such spread.

While it is possible for someone to be infected by touching a contaminated surface, the agency says the risk “is generally considered to be low.”

People who are infected with the coronavirus but don’t have symptoms can still spread the virus. Although vaccination reduces the risk of viral transmission, it doesn’t eliminate it — which may be especially true with the highly transmissible omicron variant.

The CDC, for example, “expects that anyone with Omicron infection, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms, can spread the virus to others.”

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Due to a drop in blood drives during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a nationwide blood shortage, the American Red Cross issued an urgent call for donors in January to replenish the blood supply.

Recently, posts on social media have been sharing an old photo of retired NBA superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson, falsely claiming that he is donating blood to the Red Cross for people with COVID-19. 

“Earlier today, NBA legend Magic Johnson donated some of his blood to the Red Cross to help underprivileged communities help fight COVID-19,” read a post shared on Instagram on Aug. 20.  

But the photo featured on social media came from a 2012 documentary, “Endgame: AIDS in Black America,” that aired on PBS’ “FRONTLINE” in which Johnson discussed his HIV diagnosis. (The image appears in the film between 1:06:00 and 1:08:20.)

The image, which was also posted by NPR in 2012, shows Dr. David Ho, an HIV/AIDS specialist and Johnson’s doctor, drawing blood from the basketball legend to conduct medical tests and discuss treatment — not to donate.  

Update, Aug. 23: Johnson addressed the false claim in a tweet on Aug. 23. “I’m aware of the false story circling the internet, and to be clear, I have never donated blood,” Johnson wrote.

Johnson, who has been a key figure in raising AIDS awareness, can’t donate blood for any medical reason.

The American Red Cross does not accept blood donations from HIV-positive donors because the virus can be transmitted through blood.

“Do not give blood if you have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test, or if you have done something that puts you at risk for becoming infected with HIV,” the Red Cross website says. 

The Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for maintaining the safety of blood donations, prohibits collection centers from accepting blood from those who have tested positive for HIV. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention routinely screens donated blood for the virus.

The recent social media posts are an updated version of posts that falsely claimed in 2021 that Johnson was donating blood to COVID-19 patients and in 2015 that Johnson was donating blood to leukemia and lymphoma patients.