The need for blood remains constant and we are asking our partners to still hold blood drives.

The Red Cross is taking a number of precautions at this time to ensure that blood drives are safe for all of our volunteers, staff and donors. We are hosting drives across the country and these changes made are so that blood drives are compliant with these Health Emergency declarations.

BLOOD DONATION AND BLOOD DRIVE SAFETY

Q: Is it safe to give blood right now?

A: We want to emphasize that at each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees already follow the highest standards of safety and infection control. The Red Cross has also implemented additional precautions to ensure the safety of our donors and staff during this outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.

Q: What safety precautions are in place at Red Cross blood drives to protect staff and donors?

A: The Red Cross asks potential donors who may have any risk factors to postpone and donate at a later time. The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are healthy and feeling well at the time of donation.

At each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees already follow thorough safety protocols to help prevent the spread of any type of infection, including:

• Wearing gloves and changing gloves often
• Routinely wiping down donor-touched areas
• Using sterile collection sets for every donation, and
• Preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub.

We understand why people may be hesitant to come out for a blood drive, but want to reassure the public that we have implemented additional precautions to ensure the safety of our donors and staff, including:

• Checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
• Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and refreshment areas.
• Wearing face masks or coverings for both staff and donors.
• Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
• Emphasizing the importance of appointments to help manage the flow of donors at drives.

These mitigation measures will help ensure staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may potentially have this, or any, respiratory infection.

Q: What new safety protocols has the Red Cross put in place?

A: The Red Cross already follows thorough safety protocols to help prevent the spread of any type of infection each day. In response to this coronavirus, we’ve implemented additional precautionary measures out of an abundance of caution, including:

• Checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering the drive, as well as throughout the donation process
• Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and refreshment areas.
• Wearing face masks or coverings for both staff and donors.
• Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.
• Emphasizing the importance of appointments to help manage the flow of donors at drives.

We are also looking at staggering donor appointments further apart to reduce the number of people at a drive at any one time. These mitigation measures will help ensure staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may potentially have this, or any, respiratory infection.