The United States is currently facing a critical blood shortage. Due to fears about the coronavirus, many the blood impulses were canceled, perhaps because donors are sensation especially hesitant to enroll. Although there was less need for blood during blockages As many elective surgeries were postponed, the need for blood resumed, but donations have not returned to their pre-pandemic levels.
“Our inventories have been cut in half,” Chris Hrouda, president of biomedical services for the American Red Cross, he told the NY Times. “We are beginning to enter a critical situation.” According to Hrouda, the Red Cross, which generally has a five-day supply, now has less than two days.
If you are in a position to donate blood, now is a good time to do it. To ensure donor safety, clinics are taking additional safety precautions to prevent infection. Many clinic operators, including the Red Cross, are also taking the additional step of donor screening for COVID-19 antibodies. The results in antibody tests It will be available to the donor, generally within 7-10 days.
(A quick reminder: COVID-19 antibodies are an indication of having been infected in the past, rather than a sign of an active infection. If you are not feeling well or have recently been exposed to COVID-19, you should not be donating blood)
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Who is eligible to donate?
Generally speaking, any healthy person over the age of 17 and weighing at least 110 pounds is eligible to donate blood. You can donate whole blood once every 56 days Donate alone plasma or platelets is also an option.
May be something extra current restrictions on your donation site, so check your local center ‘s guidelines. Common factors that would make you ineligible it would be llow iron levels, if you you are taking certain medications, or if have lived or traveled to specific countries. The The FDA recently relaxed some of its rules against gay and bisexual donors, as well as their travel restrictions.
How to find a blood unit or clinic near you
Find a blood or clinic unit near you, cthe heck the websites of the AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks), the Red Cross or the Blood Center of America, all of which offer donation locations as well as schedules up tonext impulses of blood.
Depending on where you live, there may be Be a number of options available. METERmaking an appointment in advance will be especially critical due to the need to maintain Safety precautions, including temperature controls, limiting the number of appointments to ensure adequate physical distance and increased sanitary precautions (bring a mask).
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