The American Red Cross was already struggling to keep blood banks stocked when the coronavirus pandemic began. Now, with a spike in cases nationwide, there is an emergency shortage of convalescent plasma.
Convalescent plasma is blood plasma collected from patients who have recovered from an infection and have antibodies that might help fight that infection. The Red Cross is urging individuals who have received a verified COVID-19 diagnosis and fully recovered from the virus to donate convalescent plasma. COVID-19 survivors who donate plasma have a unique ability to help up to three other patients recover from the virus with their donation.
Red Cross blood drives follow the highest standards of safety and infection control, and they have implemented additional precautions to protect donors including temperature checks, social distancing, and face coverings for donors and staff.
A list of St. Clair County blood drives is available <HERE>, and a full list of blood drives searchable by location is available at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
