Local blood donations are needed critically now

Vitalant and other blood centers across the country are struggling to maintain stable inventories and to avoid a critical blood shortage during the Coronavirus pandemic. For information on ways to donate and where to go to help local blood donation centers and hospitals, turn to

The fear of the novel coronavirus is severely impacting the U.S. blood supply as Vitalant and other blood centers across the country are struggling to maintain stable inventories and avoid a critical blood shortage.

With school closures and business shutdowns, more than 30% of Vitalant Ohio’s blood collections anticipated in March have disappeared — almost overnight, and that number continues to grow, according to a news release from Vitalant.

“We need people to start turning out in force to give blood,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the agency that regulates all U.S. blood centers. “We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled.”

It’s extremely important right now for healthy people to make a blood donation appointment by calling 877-25-VITAL (877258-4825) or going online to vitalant.org, the release said.

Vitalant has nearly 125 donation centers across the country, with three locations in the Northeast Ohio region, including in Elyria at 710 Leona St. New guidance from government entities recommends that people avoid gatherings.

But blood drives are not gatherings: they are an “essential health care activity,” according to the release.

“Our blood collection sites are a ‘first response’ action to this outbreak versus a gathering that needs to be avoided,” said Dr. Ralph Vassallo, Vitalant’s chief medical and scientific officer. “If you’re healthy, you’re needed now more than ever.

“We cannot let it get to the point where there’s no blood available for trauma patients, those undergoing cancer treatment and patients who need regular, ongoing blood transfusions just to survive.”

Sick people should not donate blood; blood centers do not test for the coronavirus.

Vitalant staff follow rigorous safety and disinfection protocols at its blood drives and donation centers.

Giving blood has no impact on the donor’s immune system.

All blood types and components are needed, with a critical need for platelets and type O blood donations.