The American Red Cross, as well as many other blood banks across the country, urge healthy individuals to continue donating during the coronavirus outbreak.“We are doing everything in our power to ensure we don’t get to critical levels of blood supply,” said Chris Hrouda, the President of the Biomedical Services in American Red Cross. 

According to the video from the American Red Cross (featured above), blood centers throughout the country are experiencing a significant drop in the number of donations, which is hurting the nation’s blood supply. Because of this, blood banks across the US are encouraging eligible individuals more than ever to donate; however, due to coronavirus restrictions, donations are being handled in a slightly different way. 

Many blood banks are no longer accepting walk-ins. Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, for example, has announced that in order “to ensure the safety of all donors, we will not be accepting walk-ins. We are now only taking donors who have scheduled an appointment.” 

Miller-Keystone is only accepting scheduled appointments as well. This will help blood banks better monitor the donations and keep the procedure safe and healthy.

But is donating blood in itself safe? Fortunately, the answer so far is a resounding yes. According to the FDA, there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus, and respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19, are not generally known to be transmitted this way. The FDA also supports the recommendations of AABB’s Interorganizational Task Force that encourage individuals to donate. 

“It’s a very safe thing to do, to go give blood, and people should do it because they can really help save lives,” said Peter Marks, MD, PhD, and director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Donating blood is more important than ever as local blood drives can not be done the same way they were before due to coronavirus. According to Miller-Keystone Blood Center, local blood drives supply 60% of needed blood to hospitals.

In addition to donating blood being safe, blood banks are taking as many precautions as they can to ensure a healthy environment. Memorial Blood Banks, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, and other blood banks urge donors to check how they are feeling before donating and offer guidelines to the individuals willing to donate. They advise not going if you apply to any of these things:

• have a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing)
• have had close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• have been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 and it has not been 28 days after your illness has resolved
• have traveled to areas of major outbreaks such as mainland China, Korea, Italy, and Iran and have not waited until 28 days from departure

They are also being extra careful with sanitation precautions. The American Red Cross is doing things such as “providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment; temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center; [and] following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and refreshment areas.”

Donating blood is completely safe and it has never been more important. If you are eligible, schedule an appointment today to keep the country’s blood supply adequate and available for those in need. Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank and Miller-Keystone Blood Center are just two examples of nearby blood banks accepting appointments. 

“In the United States, a patient is treated with a blood transfusion every two seconds, and this is only possible through the generosity of our country’s volunteer blood donors,” said CEO of AABB, Debra BenAvram.