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COVID-19 has changed a lot off things, but it hasn’t touched the need for blood donations, according to Shepeard Community Blood Center officials.
In fact, they say a national shortage is looming as many people wonder whether it is safe for them to give blood. This is particularly true of those who have COVID-19 or who wonder if they might be carrying the virus but have no symptoms. According to blood center officials, not only is it safe to give blood, but the community desperately needs donations.
“We are in a nationwide shortage,” says Community Resources Director Ashley Whitaker. “In fact, we have not had such a severe nationwide shortage since the AIDS crisis.”
Plasma is especially needed right now because it is used to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus, according to Whitaker. This treatment uses plasma from people who have recovered from the virus. The antibodies present in that plasma help patients suffering from the worst effects of the coronavirus, Whitaker said.
To qualify to give convalescent plasma, donors must show proof that they tested positive for COVID-19, have been symptom free for 14 days and meet normal FDA requirements that deal with age, weight and hemoglobin count, she added.
For those who have not contracted the virus and wish to donate a pint of blood, Shepeard is mandating masks for anyone who comes into one of their donation centers. According to Whitaker, the blood center is doing its best to maintain social distancing.
“We used to be able to accommodate eight donors at a time in our bloodmobiles,” she said.”We have dropped that number to four people at a time so that we can maintain social distancing.”
Whitaker added that all blood product donations are screened for COVID-19 in case a donor is an unknown carrier of the virus.
Those wanting to give blood can use the Quick Pass that allows donors to fill out the necessary paperwork on their cell phones. The Quick Pass is available on Shepeard’s website: www.shepeardblood.org.
Scott Hudson is the Managing Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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