The American Red Cross is continuing to ask for donations after facing severe blood shortages due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The organization announced the outbreak is causing a number of blood drives across the United States to be canceled, causing a severe shortage in blood supply.
The American Red Cross is monitoring the outbreak of coronavirus and has made several safety protocols to ensure the safety of donors, volunteers and employees. This includes:
Wearing gloves and changing them often
Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection
Using sterile collection sets for every donation
Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub
Conducting donor mini-physicals to ensure donors are healthy and well on day of donation
Enhanced disinfecting of equipment
Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment
Temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center
Spacing beds, where possible, to follow social distancing practices between donors
Staff is also monitored each day and follows standard health assessments prior to all blood drives, and all donors must be eligible and healthy in order to give blood.
For more information on how and where to donate blood or platelets, visit the American Red Cross’ website.
Source: WAVE
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