Donate blood to help communities cope with COVID-19
As concerns about the outbreak of COVID-19 rise, healthy, eligible individuals are urged to give blood or platelets to help maintain a sufficient blood supply and prevent shortages.
Cold and flu season has already impacted the ability to maintain the blood supply. And as the number of COVID-19 cases grow, there may be a further decrease in the number of people eligible to give blood to sustain the blood supply for patients in need.
Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. At each blood drive and donation center, American Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols including wearing gloves, routinely wiping down donor-touched areas, using sterile collection sets for every donation, and preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub.
The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.
Additionally, there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus including this coronavirus worldwide.
If you are healthy, feeling well and eligible to give blood or platelets, please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
The Red Cross will also be hosting some upcoming blood drives on U-M’s campus:
- Noon – 6 p.m., Thursday, March 19, Michigan Union, Pendleton Room
- 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, North Campus Research Complex, Building 18
- 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 26, Towsley Lobby
- Noon – 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, Pierpont Commons, North Campus, East Room (tentative)
- Noon – 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 1, Pierpont Commons, North Campus, East Room (tentative)
- 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Friday, April 3, School of Education, Whitney Room
- Noon – 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 7, Michigan Union, Pendleton Room
- 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, North Ingalls Building
- Noon – 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, Michigan League, Koessler Room
