DETROIT (WWJ) - Feeling healthy? The Red Cross could use your donation.
Amid concerns about the rise of coronavirus cases in the U.S., the American Red Cross is urging healthy, eligible individuals to give blood or platelets to help prevent blood shortages.
The Red Cross says cold and flu season has already impacted the nation's ability to maintain its blood supply. And, as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the U.S., the number of people eligible to give blood for patients in need could decrease further. Blood donors with type O blood and platelet donors are especially needed right now.
Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. There is no evidence that this coronavirus can be transmissible by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases worldwide of transmissions for any respiratory virus, including this coronavirus, from a transfusion, according to the Red Cross.
Nonetheless, the Red Cross has implemented new blood donation deferrals out of an abundance of caution. Individuals are asked to postpone their donation for 28 days following:• Travel to China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Iran, Italy and South Korea;• Diagnosis of COVID-19, contact with a person who has or is suspected to have the virus.
The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.
A blood donation takes about an hour from start to finish, but the actual donation itself only takes about 8-10 minutes.
To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
A number of blood donation opportunities are running throughout the end of the month. To make an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
