The American Red Cross is asking people to roll up their sleeves due to a severe blood shortage.
Officials say because of the coronavirus outbreak, there have been an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations. Today, they announced that the outbreak is affecting the nation’s supply. Nearly 2,700 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to the virus. This has resulted in 86,000 or less blood donations.
Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood supply. Staff says, donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. However, if you have traveled to China, Hong Kong, Macau and any nearby regions to postpone donation for 28 days. The blood shortage can impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies. The Red Cross has also implemented new measures to ensure blood drives and donation centers are even safer for donors and staff such as checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy, spacing beds where possible to follow social distancing practices between blood donors and providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive.
There is no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus including the coronavirus.
For more information, visit RedCross.org or you can also contact your local hospitals.
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