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Blood banks reassuring North Texans there’s no evidence coronavirus can be transmitted through donations
A stable blood supply is vital for all hospitals, but the coronavirus outbreak has forced local blood banks to call on their donor networks after many organizations canceled their traditional blood drives due to "social distancing."
DALLAS - A stable blood supply is vital for all hospitals, but the coronavirus outbreak has forced local blood banks to call on their donor networks after many organizations canceled their traditional blood drives due to "social distancing."
“I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but people’s live depend on blood transfusion. In our community, 600 people a day need transfusion,” Chief Executive Officer at Carter Blood Care Merlyn Sayers said.
Carter Blood Care officials worry that loss of formal blood drives due to limits on close-quarter activities might deplete its supply.
“We have to make sure to let the communities know that continuing blood donation is vital for hundreds of people who are transfusion dependent. Vital every day,” Sayers said.
Sayers added that the loss of donation drives compounds the problem.
Some donors have infection concerns, even though Sayers said there’s no greater risk to contract the virus through blood donation.
“There is no evidence that transfusion transmitted coronavirus has ever happened. No evidence,” he said. “And the coronavirus is very similar to influenza virus, and we’ve had decades of experience knowing that individuals who were asymptomatic and then got influenza, they never ever transmitted influenza by their blood donation.”
Earlier this year, Carter Blood Care told FOX4 it’s experiencing its worst shortage in more than a decade.
It’s been calling previous donors, like Keith Thompson, asking for more.
“More than anything, it’s the right thing to do,” Thompson said.
Carter officials have seen coronavirus fears cripple the supply of other communities, like in Washington state, where the outbreak has been especially deadly.
“That put the fear amongst blood donors that this was something that might be spread across the wider community. So a lot of people in the Seattle area and Pacific Northwest stopped donating. This was before we could encourage them that they were not at risk,” Sayers explained.
Even if there aren’t formal donation events, Sayers doesn’t want potential donors in North Texas to be discouraged.
“Blood donation itself is safe. It is safe,” he said.