The problem boils down to the fact that there is currently no way to test your blood for blood donating purposes, especially if you're asymptomatic.
I mean, there's this disease, and it kills people, and is known that blood transfusions can infect people and we don't have a test for it. What would you have the Red Cross do?
I understand that the US Red Cross is in a difficult position. But the health authorities in the UK (who are presumably "closer" to the situation) don't have the same restrictions. Of course that might be simple expediency, since by the US rules nobody in the UK could donate.
I mean, there's this disease, and it kills people, and is known that blood transfusions can infect people and we don't have a test for it. What would you have the Red Cross do?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt%E2%80%93Jakob_dise...