Blood banks and donation centers could face a critical blood shortage as a result of precautions taken to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, one blood service nonprofit warned Wednesday.
According to Vitalant, blood donation centers in the Bay Area and across the country are staring down a critical supply shortage after closures of schools and local businesses have wiped out blood drive locations.
More than a quarter of Vitalant’s planned blood donation events in March have been canceled as a result of local closures.
“If you’re healthy, you’re needed now more than ever,” Vitalant chief medical and scientific officer Dr. Ralph Vassallo said. “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.”
While federal, state and local public health officials have advised against or even banned large public gatherings, donating blood is deemed an essential health care activity and is exempt from such bans.
Blood donation centers do not test for the coronavirus and potential donors are required to be in good health. Donating blood will also have no effect on the immune system.
“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, which oversees blood donation centers.
“We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled.”
Blood donations can be made with Vitalant, the American Red Cross, the Stanford Blood Center and several other donation centers around the Bay Area.
All blood types are currently in demand, according to Vitalant. Type O-negative blood, the universal donor, is especially critical as surgeons and doctors use it first before they’re able to confirm a patient’s blood type.
So I am confused…not unusual. But if you already have it and donate won’t recipients then get it also ?
Just went to the Red Cross on Gregory Lane/Cleveland Rd. They wouldn’t take me because I didn’t have an appointment. So sad…there really weren’t that many people there to donate. Ah well…….
Never let a “critical blood shortage” stand in the way of proper bureaucratic procedure.
I used to regularly donate at Pleasant Hill, answer all the embarrassing sex questions, ect…I even worried when I had not donated frequently enough…after being rejected for a rash on my arm than had previously been “That’s O.K” I never went back.
After seeing how much blood costs at a hospital i stopped giving blood. If they paid me id be more likely to give some as i used to donate as i have the most common blood type, but can no longer “donate” it. Greedy companies just want free stuff and i no longer give it for free.
yeah what’s up with that? I’ve donated a few times, and it was always an altruistic donation. There are plenty of references in pop culture about giving blood for money, but I figured maybe that was an East Coast thing. I am truly ignorant. Does anybody know the economics of giving blood?
Old Fart – The blood has to be tested, stored and administered.
@ Kentucky Derby. Thank you Captain Obvious. Now does anybody know the economics of giving blood? What is the price for blood at any or all stages of the cycle? I’ve given blood, I’ve been involved in transporting blood. What I don’t know is the economics of blood. How much is a pint worth and to who? How much does who charge? How much does who pay? Who is making out like a bandit? Who is taking a loss? What is the actual value of that pint you are donating?
Hand out a 24 roll pack of premium Charmin TP with every donation.
Problem solved.
Add a free COVID-19 test on top of that and the line will be out the door, properly spaced, 6-feet apart.
As a kid growing up in Chicago we’d watch the bums & alchies line up daily to sell blood for drinking & gambling money. Few got turned away.
@Old Fart What are the economics of a pint of blood???. Google the company “Ambrosia” They sell young healthy blood from children to sick, rich people in hopes of a “Fountain” of youth. 18k a pint. Bill Clinton would sell the blood of prisoners to people over seas. That came to a stop when they started killing people by selling infected blood HIV, Hep C etc. Look it up.
AMBROSIA PRETTY SICK STUFF.
@jimmy jack Good reading, thank you. While I’ve always disagreed with Jehovah’s Witnesses’ stance of dying before they’ll ever accept an emergency blood transfusion, they may be expressing a larger wisdom. Just like humans will ALWAYS use the latest weapons technology, they will ALWAYS use the latest biotech for amoral or immoral purposes. The examples are coming fast and furious as of late.
Not quite the rabbit hole I was looking to go down with my question, but thanks.
I had the worst experience of donating blood 2 years ago at work I have stopped and I have weird universal type of blood. It was at the end of their shift and they could not get a needle into my vein. Two people tried the 2nd was just a butcher and this has never happened in all the prior years I have donated. My veins never had a problem previously. After being in pain for over an hour they said I guess we will take out the needle.
What a joke. The bruising was horrible. I sent a letter to the mobile units company and received an oh to bad response.
Now especially with the shelter in place no way would I donate ever again. Get people who know what they are doing and treat the donors with respect as we are not cattle.
Your humanity is epic, in a fair world statues of you would be built in every city.
It’s probably a good idea to check the American Red Cross blood donation FAQ before making an appointment.
https://www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html
There are many medical conditions and medications that preclude blood donation. Apparently, my blood is unwanted, BTW.