You might think that during the COVID-19 pandemic, donating blood is not an option. It's actually the opposite. It's extremely important, especially now.
Vitalant (formerly Blood Centers of the Pacific) here in the Bay Area says coronavirus responses have significantly impacted the U.S. blood supply as they, and other blood centers across the country, cope with stabilizing blood inventories to meet patients’ transfusion needs. Since the coronavirus pandemic started, Vitalant—the nation’s second largest blood collector—has had nearly 2,000 blood drives canceled, resulting in more than 57,000 uncollected blood donations.
While most of us are sheltering-in-place in the Bay Area right now, it's still okay to go out and donate blood. Vitalant has taken every necessary precaution to ensure that your experience is safe and you are not subjected to the COVID-19 virus.
Vitalant strongly recommends that healthy donors schedule an appointment for a donation instead of donating without an appointment right now—to help them better serve donors, practice social distancing and appropriately manage the blood supply.
Click here for more information.
Jack Kulp and Carolyn McArdle talked to Kevin Adler, Marketing & Communicatios Manager for Vitalant in the Bay Area. Listen to their conversation below...