Blood donations at critical shortage because of coronavirus pandemic

Blood banks are asking healthy donors to turn out “in full force” as donations drop in the face of the spreading coronavirus.

“If we don’t have enough blood to meet the sick patients’ needs, we’ll have another public health crisis on top of the pandemic,” said Kristen Lane, spokeswoman for Vitalant, previously called the Central Blood Bank.

Because schools, churches and other businesses are closing, blood drives are being canceled, Lane said.

“We are asking anyone who is healthy to make an appointment or keep an appointment and not have any fear,” she said. “Going to a blood drive is a safe, essential health care function. It’s not a gathering.”

Federal and state agencies this week encouraged gatherings of more than a certain number of people to postpone events. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Wolf urged all nonessential businesses to shutter for at least two weeks. Lane stressed that blood drives and donation sites are considered essential.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine used part of her daily press briefing Tuesday to urge those who can to donate blood.

“Please donate,” she said. “They have precautions in place so you can donate blood safely.”

The American Red Cross on Tuesday tweeted that the nationwide organization is facing a severe shortage, indicating that 2,700 blood drives had been canceled as of Monday. That works out to 86,000 fewer donations.

Lane said that Vitalant gives an estimate to Allegheny Health Network and UPMC each year on the amount of blood they can expect from the organization’s drives. With so many blood drives canceled, “the hospitals will be in trouble, and we’ll be in trouble.”

The virus cannot be transmitted through a blood transfusion, she said, and giving blood does not affect one’s immune system.

“The only way to get blood is through volunteer donors. Blood can’t be manufactured. It can only come from people,” she said.

To supplement, Vitalant is extending hours at its 10 donation centers in Western Pennsylvania.

To schedule a donation, visit vitalant.org.