Charlotte blood banks need our help during the coronavirus pandemic.
Unprecedented.
That’s how blood banks across the country are reacting to the past couple of weeks in terms of blood donations.
“We have never seen such a sharp decline in blood donations in such a short period of time,” said Erica Byer, Regional Director for One Blood. “No other public health crisis has affected the blood supply in the same manner as we are seeing with coronavirus.”
Blood centers across the country are uniting to make an urgent call-to-action.
“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. “We need people to prevent the blood supply from getting depleted. We need it not to get to the point that surgeries are having to get canceled.”
On Friday, neighbors in Cotswold were among those aswering the call for help by donating much needed blood. OneBlood hoped to get 11 donors at a mobile drive on Ashworth Road. Instead, 26 neighbors donated what amounts to 30 units of blood — that will help 90 people.
Is there a risk to donate?
“It is safe to donate blood,” said Admiral Dr. Brett P. Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Blood centers are regulated by the FDA and must follow specific guidelines to ensure safe blood is available for patients at all times.
In less than a week, One Blood saw the cancellations of more than 25 blood drives in just the Charlotte region. That’s the potential loss of more than 700 blood donations.
“With the significant drop in donations, the national blood supply is seeing a decline. With donors not coming in to donate, it is limiting the ability for the nation’s blood supply to be adequately replenished,” Byer said.
Many of these blood drives are organized through schools, colleges and workplaces. With most of these locations shut down, the situation is getting worse.
“Blood donors are needed now more than ever. We cannot wait for the situation to intensify further before taking action,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers. “The blood supply cannot be taken for granted, and the coronavirus only heightens the need for a ready blood supply.”
Donors need to “step it up”
Late Friday morning at the main Charlotte One Blood collection center on South Boulevard, four of five chairs remained empty.
“I’ve been donating for five years straight,” John Reis said.
He was sitting there in a chair watching a movie on Netflix. He’s a platelet donor, a process that takes a couple of hours but allows donors to come in much more frequently. He saw the need to donate now.
The coronavirus does not pose any known risk to blood donors in the United States during the donation process. Proper handwashing technique and cleanliness are part of standard operating procedures on a daily basis,” Byers said.
Who needs the blood
- 4.5 million Americans will need blood transfusion each year.
- 43,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.
- Someone needs blood every two seconds.
- Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood — less than 10 percent do annually.
- One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
- Patients fighting cancer need more blood than patients fighting any other disease, using nearly one-quarter of the nation’s blood supply.
In the Charlotte region, there are several locations where you can donate. Here’s how you can save a life:
- One Blood – To schedule an appointment. To host a blood drive, reach out to Karen Rodriguez at (704) 962-7412.
- American Red Cross – To schedule an appointment. To set up a blood drive, click here.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
