The fear of coronavirus is severely impacting the U.S. blood supply as Vitalant and other blood centers across the country are struggling to maintain stable inventories and avoid a critical blood shortage.
With school closures and business shutdowns, 25% of Vitalant’s blood collections anticipated in March have disappeared — almost overnight. And that number continues to grow.
It’s extremely important for healthy people to make a blood donation appointment by calling 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825) or going online to vitalant.org. Vitalant has nearly 125 donation centers across the country, with three in Louisiana.
Visit the donation center located at 1503 Bertrand Dr. in Lafayette.
New guidance from government entities recommend that people avoid gatherings. But blood drives are not gatherings: they are blood donation operations that are an “essential health care activity.” To care for patients, people should give blood, keep scheduled blood drives and organize blood drives in the coming weeks.
Sick people should not donate blood; blood centers do not test for the Coronavirus. Blood centers have always required individuals to be in good health to donate, and the blood collection process follows policies established by the FDA to ensure the health and safety of donors and patients. Vitalant staff follow rigorous safety and disinfection protocols at its blood drives and donation centers. Giving blood has no impact on the donor’s immune system.
All blood types and components are needed.
, with a critical need for platelets and type O blood donations. Platelets have a very short shelf life—only five days. Type O-negative blood is the universal blood type: ER doctors reach for it first to help stabilize patients before their blood type is known.
