Red Cross urging blood donations as COVID-19 fears grow

FILE With COVID-19 moving its way across the country and inching into Connecticut, American Red Cross officials fear that the supply of people healthy enough to donate blood will soon deplete, and are urging people to do it now so there isn’t a shortage. Photo by Kim Brent/The Enterprise less FILE With COVID-19 moving its way across the country and inching into Connecticut, American Red Cross officials fear that the supply of people healthy enough to donate blood will soon deplete, and are urging ... more Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Red Cross urging blood donations as COVID-19 fears grow 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

In light of the growing spread of a strain of the respiratory illness coronavirus, the American Red Cross is urging healthy people to give blood or platelets. And a doctor at least one area hospital said he’s already on alert about a possible shortage.

Red Cross officials are worried that the outbreak of the illness, known as COVID-19, and concern about it will lead to a blood shortage. Cold and flu season has already depleted the nation’s blood supply, and as COVID-19 continues to spread, the number of people eligible to give blood to those who need it could continue to decline.

“We’re asking the American people to help keep the blood supply stable during this challenging time,” said said Chris Hrouda, president, Red Cross Blood Services in a news release. “As communities across the country prepare for this public health emergency, it’s critical that plans include a readily available blood supply for hospital patients. As fears of coronavirus rise, low donor participation could harm blood availability at hospitals, and the last thing a patient should worry about is whether lifesaving blood will be on the shelf when they need it most.”

At Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. Chris Tormey, medical director of transfusion services, said the hospital has an adequate blood supply at this time — but that could change. “As there’s more social distancing and quarantining, we expect more people will be unwilling or unable to donate blood.”

That’s why the Red Cross is urging people to donate as soon as they can if they are able. Potential donors can make an appointment to donate blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Blood donors with type O blood and platelet donors are especially needed.

According to the Red Cross, donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. There are no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmissible by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases worldwide of transmissions for any respiratory virus from a transfusion, the Red Cross stated in the release.

The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are healthy and feeling well at the time of donation, and who meet other eligibility requirements, available at RedCrossBlood.org.

At each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols including wearing gloves, routinely wiping down donor-touched areas, using sterile collection sets for every donation, and preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub. These mitigation measures will help ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may potentially have this respiratory