Earvin “Magic” Johnson responded to a viral online photo that claimed the Hall of Famer had donated blood.
A photo went viral on the Internet on Tuesday showing Johnson with a tourniquet around his arm as a doctor takes his blood. A sarcastic Twitter account captioned the photo, “Earlier today, NBA legend Magic Johnson donated some of his blood to the Red Cross to help disadvantaged communities fight COVID-19.” The post, which has since been deleted, has been retweeted more than 10,000 times and liked 28,000 times on Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson: ‘I am aware of the false story circulating around the internet, and to be clear, I have never donated blood’ Tweet Tuesday morning.
Johnson, who in 1991 declared he had HIV, is unable to donate blood. HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus that “attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more susceptible to infections and other diseases,” according to HIV.gov. The virus can be transmitted through contact with the blood of a person with a detectable viral load. If the virus is not treated, it can lead to AIDS.
The Red Cross does not accept blood donations from anyone who has received a positive HIV test. All donations are screened for this and other infectious diseases.
The News agency She mentioned that the image comes from a 2012 documentary featuring Johnson called Endgame: AIDS in Black America. The ten-year-old photo shows the 12-times star having his blood drawn by his longtime doctor, Dr. David Hu, during a routine check-up.
Five-time NBA champion announced at a press conference On November 7, 1991, he tested positive for HIV and would leave the NBA immediately. At the time of his diagnosis, he had just married his wife, Koki, and she was pregnant with their first child.
Johnson is back He joined the NBA All-Star Game in 1992 and coached the Lakers for part of the 93-94 season before returning as a player in the ’95-96 season. He officially retired in ’96 after the season.
Since his diagnosis, Johnson has become an advocate for the treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS.
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