Vitalant, formerly known as Blood Centers of the Pacific, announced Monday that it will begin testing all blood donations for COVID-19 coronavirus antibodies.
The non-profit blood collection organization serves hospital patients throughout the Bay Area and has a critical need for blood donations.
Vitalant will use the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved antibody test on each blood donation with the hope that it can provide local medical officials with more information on the virus.
“While a positive antibody test does not mean that someone is immune to COVID-19, it does mean that they may be eligible to donate convalescent plasma in the future and help people with the disease,” Vitalant chief of marketing Cliff Numark said. “Convalescent plasma can be given directly to patients currently battling COVID-19 to help boost their ability to fight their illness.”
Donations of all blood types are sorely needed in the Bay Area. In particular, blood types O, A-negative and B-negative are critically needed in Bay Area hospitals.
Potential donors can schedule an appointment at one of Vitalant’s donor centers by going to vitalant.org or calling (877) 258-4825.
What if I don’t consent to that?
If I am not anonymous for a blood donation, then I guess I am not donating anymore
You can not be anonymous if you are donating.
I have been donating Double Reds and Plasma for about 20 years to Vitalant. No Problems
Excellent! I hope that Red Cross will soon do the same.
Where do i donate?
Go on their website and look for blood drives in your area by your zip or city. Pick a location and a time and what type of donation. Save a life !
I don’t feel like clicking to learn more but
1) I had not known there was more than one blood donation organization. I’m assuming the business model is they don’t pay you and that they charge hospitals, vampires, and other users of blood products.
2) Will they tell you the positive/negative results of the screening? I assume they screen for far more than just COVID-19.
3) Do they retain samples and as further tests are developed are you told that your sample was subject to the new tests and the results?
4) Do they sell information about you, details of analysis of your blood, and/or your blood to others?
5) I had assumed that screening protocols for blood intended for use with other people is identical regardless of who draws the blood.
So many questions … We used to live in a rather simple world…
@WC Resident,
When you’re donating blood, you’re doing a good deed! But people who do the work, have to earn a living, so of course they have to charge the hospitals!!
From what I understand, donating plasma is different than donating blood. The process collects the plasma, but returns red blood cells and platelets back to your body. So if you have the covid anti-body, they will have to tell you the results, so you can come back and donate plasma. However you can always ask them before, if they tell you the result!!
I believe that if you do DNA testing and genealogy, like ancestry, there is a good chance that they will sell your info, and I would never do that, but probably not with blood donation. However in this day and age, everything is up for sale!! Every time you click on your computer, it gets recorded and probably sold….
I understand that everything is complicated these days, but sometimes you can’t control and know everything, and gotta let go….So I would do the blood donation, because if you’re lucky enough to have the anti-body, then despite all the rhetoric, you will probably be immune for a long time!!
I used to donate regularly to Red Cross but stopped when I had to identify as ‘non-hispanic’. They didn’t understand why I objected to being a not-something when I am clearly a positive something. What was hilarious was the long internal email thread they had discussing what an unreasonable person I was, that was accidentally forwarded to me by their customer service rep when he responded to my original email. I suggested to him that next time he might want to take the time to fully inspect what he sends out! But having said that, they do good work, and I do have a rare blood type. I was sick in Feb/March, so I think I’ll try this. Great marketing decision on their part.