iStock(NEW YORK) — The American Red Cross is asking healthy individuals across the country to consider donating blood as concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic intensify.
After a string of blood drive cancellations in the last few days and demand expected to surge in the coming weeks, the organization says it is in desperate need for new blood.
“The cancellations are really adding up,” said Gail McGovern, president and chief executive officer, American Red Cross. “In normal times, we have 13,000 people a day donating blood and we rely on all these daily donations to keep the blood supply going. We’re trying to avoid a crisis here.”
Nearly 1,500 American Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to COVID-19 concerns, resulting in 46,000 fewer blood donations. Officials worry the nation’s blood supply could be at risk if these cancellations continue.
The American Red Cross is implementing several safety measures as an extra precaution to protect donors from potential exposure, including checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering, spacing beds to follow social distancing practices, and more stringently disinfecting surfaces and equipment.
This is on top of the organization’s standard safety protocols of wiping down donor-touch areas and changing gloves after each donation, among other practices.
Above all, McGovern highlights the blood supply as an essential part of the country’s health care system and urges any healthy American to donate blood. If you’d like to make an appointment to donate, you can do so on the American Red Cross website or by calling 1-800-red-cross.
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