WASHINGTON, D.C. - Our nation’s blood supply is reaching critically low levels. Remember, one donation can save up to three lives. And, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. We can make a difference.
“Even during the coronavirus outbreak, people in our communities and across the country who have an emergency or are battling cancer or other diseases still rely on donations of lifesaving blood. Our blood supply is facing shortages; we need to step up and donate. It is still safe and there are extra precautions to ensure the health of everyone involved, so I encourage healthy individuals to please donate blood," said E&C GOP Leader Greg Walden (R-OR).
United States Faces Blood Shortage:
* The nation is facing “severe blood shortages" according to the American Red Cross
* Almost 2,700 blood donation drives from Red Cross have been canceled due to COVID-19
* That means about 86,000 blood donations were not given
* Need to maintain the lifesaving blood supply can’t be overstated - one Michigan doctor said the hospital only had enough blood supply for one day
Giving Blood is still safe during COVID-19 -here are some of the precautions being taken by American Red Cross:
* Before entering the blood drive area, staff and donors must have their temperatures checked
* Hand sanitizers before and during the blood drive
* Staff wear gloves and change gloves between each blood drive
Making an appointment to donate blood in your area is easy, here’s how:
* Visit RedCrossBlood.org. Click on “Schedule an Appointment" under the “Donate Blood" tab. From there you can enter you zip code to find a blood drive near you.
* Red Cross Blood Donor App
* Call 1-800-RED-CROSS
* Use Amazon Alexa Blood Scheduling Skill
E&C Members Getting Involved
These are great social media examples to encourage people to donate blood. Be sure to tag your local blood drive donation centers on social media and coordinate with local media to let the public know this is an urgent need.
Resources
* CLICK HERE for the eligibility requirements to donate blood
* CLICK HERE if this is your first-time donating blood
* CLICK HERE to learn about the process of donating blood
