When American Red Cross officials announced in March that the blood supply had dropped to a critical level due the coronavirus, donors in Surry County were quick to respond.
Now they are being asked to roll up their sleeves again due to another urgent need coming on the heels of COVID-19’s emergence.
The culprit in March stemmed from scheduled blood drives having to be canceled at settings such as schools which were closed due to the coronavirus, thus reducing the supply.
This time around, the need is related to the fact hospitals are resuming surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily paused earlier this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent weeks, hospital demand for blood products has grown by 30% after sharply declining in early April amid the rapidly changing and complex public health crisis, according to officials of the Red Cross, the nation’s chief blood-collection agency.
At the same time, drives continue to be canceled as many businesses and community organizations remain closed, with a need existing for donors to make and keep scheduled appointments to address the shortfall.
To help boost the supply, a number of blood drives are scheduled across Surry County during June.
And while the circumstances are somewhat different compared to the scenario in March, Lynn Wilkes, of the Greater Carolinas Blood Services Region that covers Surry County, is hoping for the same kind of response from local residents.
“Since mid-March, we have seen a great turnout at our blood drives locally,” Wilkes commented Friday. “Most all of our blood drives that have stayed on the calendar lately have exceeded their goal.”
The local Red Cross representative pointed to a hopeful trend among those giving recently which goes beyond the raw collection numbers.
“We’ve also seen a lot of first-time donors and donors who haven’t given in a long time coming out,” Wilkes explained. “So that is encouraging — donating blood is a wonderful way for people to help their community in this time of uncertainty.”
It’s important to remember that red blood cells must be transfused within 42 days of donation and platelets within just five days, according to the Red Cross. So they must constantly be replenished.
There is no known end date in the fight against the coronavirus, and the Red Cross says it urgently needs the aid of donors and blood drive hosts to ensure blood products are readily available for patients.
Drives in Surry
Local residents can answer the call through blood-collection events scheduled in June at these locations and times that were released by Wilkes:
• Monday, 1:30 to 6 p.m., Surry American Red Cross building, 844 Westlake Drive, Mount Airy.
• Wednesday, 3 to 7:30 p.m., Fellowship Baptist Church, 1421 Little Mountain Church Road, Ararat
• Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Red Cross building in Mount Airy.
• Friday, 2:30 to 7 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 100 Windsor Drive, Dobson
• Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Red Cross building in Mount Airy
• June 14, 12:30 to 5 p.m., Bannertown Baptist Church, 1834 Westfield Road, Mount Airy
• June 15, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Freedom Designs, 3349 Cook School Road, Pilot Mountain
• June 15, 1:30 to 6 p.m., Elkin Rescue Squad building, 940 N. Bridge St.
• June 16, 2:30 to 7 p.m., Haymore Baptist Church, 319 Rockford St., Mount Airy
• June 17, 1 to 5:30 p.m., Red Cross building in Mount Airy
• June 26, noon to 4:30 p.m., Lowe’s Home Improvement, 692 S. Andy Griffith Parkway, Mount Airy
• June 26, 3 to 7:30 p.m., Brown Mountain Baptist Church, 2269 N.C. 66-North, Westfield
• June 27, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Level Cross United Methodist Church, 4080 Siloam Road, Dobson
• June 28, 12:30 to 5 p.m., Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 1432 Highway 21, State Road
• June 29, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lifepoint Church, 1785 N. Bridge St., Elkin
• June 30, 2 to 6:30 p.m., Grace Moravian Church, 1401 N. Main St., Mount Airy
Safe process
Red Cross officials say safety always has been a priority at blood-collection sites, with the highest standards of infection control observed, and some new precautions have been implemented since the pandemic.
This includes temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff members to protect the health of everyone in attendance.
Donors are asked to schedule an appointment before arriving at a drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while there, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.
“Blood donors have played a vital role in the lives of patients who have needed lifesaving transfusions during this pandemic, and patients continue to depend on donors each and every day,” Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of Red Cross Blood Services, said in a statement.
“The Red Cross appreciates the support of those who rolled up a sleeve to give in recent months, but the need doesn’t stop; we need the public’s help to avoid another blood shortage this summer.”
Healthy individuals who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate in the weeks and months ahead by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete a pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at a blood drive. To get started, they can refer to instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required during the check-in process.
Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health can be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.
"urgent" - Google News
May 31, 2020 at 02:45PM
https://ift.tt/2ZUMtR8
Blood drives planned to meet urgent need - Mount Airy News
"urgent" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ya063o
https://ift.tt/3d7MC6X
urgent
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Blood drives planned to meet urgent need - Mount Airy News"
Post a Comment