Kansas City blood bank: Fears over coronavirus threaten local supply
The Community Blood Center in Kansas City is urging schools, businesses and other groups to continue hosting blood drives in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak so the center doesn’t run out of blood.
It wants people to keep donating, too.
As groups “take precautions in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, CBC is seeing a growing number of canceled blood drives for the month of March,” the center said in a statement on Wednesday. “These cancellations pose a significant threat to the blood supply.”
The center supplies blood to about 65 hospitals in the metro area and across eastern Kansas and western Missouri. It needs blood from 580 donors every day, the center said.
Most of its blood donations — 75% — come from drives hosted by schools and other organizations.
The center said donating blood is safe.
“CBC staff are trained in universal precautions to help prevent the risk of spreading infectious agents,” it said in its statement. “They are also routinely cleaning public surfaces.”
In case groups keep canceling their blood drives, the Community Blood Center is trying to double its reserves to avoid shortages, it said.
Its supply needs to be constantly replenished because blood is perishable, said the center, which is now part of New York Blood Center Enterprises. “Every donation at every blood drive is critical,” said Christopher D. Hillyer, president and CEO of the New York group.
“As healthy, eligible donors, we have a responsibility to our neighbors to keep the blood supply safe and robust. A resilient healthcare system is more important than ever and we’re counting on everyone to help maintain that.”
Standard guidelines do not allow donations of blood to be taken from anyone who has a cold, sore throat, a respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms, the center said.
Those are similar to the symptoms of the coronavirus: a cough, fever and shortness of breath.
Right now, people who have traveled to areas affected by the coronavirus outbreak or have come into contact with anyone who has tested positive for the virus are “encouraged to refrain from donating,” or attending a blood drive, the center said.
Coronavirus concerns are also keeping people from donating blood in Washington state, where state health officials reported 39 confirmed cases and 10 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Health used social media to assure residents that it’s safe to donate blood.
“The potential for transmission of COVID-19 by blood and blood components is unknown at this time,” the Food and Drug Administration reported in February.
“However, respiratory viruses, in general, are not known to be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus.”
If you need more information about donating blood, check SaveALifeNow.org.
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