The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
NATIONAL SHORTAGE
Red Cross faces crisis due to blood collection cancellations
Nearly 4,500 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to novel coronavirus concerns, resulting in some 150,000 fewer blood donations.
And in looking to the future, the American Red Cross expects the number of cancellations to continue to increase, which is causing heightened concern for blood collection from organizations and hospitals. This blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients who have cancer.
Just in the Northern Ohio Region, as of March 16, more than 230 blood drives have been canceled due to concerns about congregating at workplaces, college campuses, and schools amidst the COVID-19 outbreak resulting in approximately 6,500 fewer blood donations.
The Red Cross plans to add appointment slots at donation centers and expand capacity at many community blood drives across the country over the next few weeks to ensure ample opportunities for donors. Healthy individuals are encouraged to donate to help patients counting on lifesaving blood.
There has been no data or evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus, including this coronavirus worldwide.
When donor Judy Zamlen-Spotts saw a need, she stepped up to the plate.
“People are afraid,” she said
while giving blood March 19 in Mayfield Heights. “They need blood more than ever, and this is an urgent need. This is a valuable way to contribute during the crisis.” Zamlen-Spotts spoke about the need for donors now more than ever before and how just one donation can help someone.
“I’m a longtime donor,” she said. “The Red Cross has been fabulous to me, and it’s so important if you’re eligible to donate. So many people are precluded
from donating, so if you are healthy, it’s so important that you do.”
Still, with the impact of the virus, many people are afraid to donate. ZamlenSpotts urges residents to filter through misinformation and focus on the facts at hand.
“Contact the Red Cross, get the right information,” she said. “There’s a lot of bad information out there, get good information, and have faith. The Red Cross places health above everything, and there are so many benefits to
donating blood.
“Today, my blood donation is going for babies,” she added. “There is such a need, and you can run out of supplies and live, you can run out of bottled water, tissue paper, but you run out of blood people can seriously be impacted.”
The Red Cross has implemented some precautionary measures for blood drives and donation centers for the safety of their donors and staff, including:
• Checking the temperature
of the team and donors before entering to make sure they are healthy
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process
• Spacing beds, where possible, to follow social distancing practices between blood donors
• Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
Red Cross employees across all blood drive and donation centers have put some new safety protocols to help prevent the spread of any type of infection, including: • Wearing gloves and changing gloves with each donor
• Routinely wiping down donor-touched areas
• Using sterile collection sets for every donation
• Preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub.