The American Red Cross is urging all healthy and able adults to donate blood in the wake of a severe blood shortage. L.A. Care Health Plan is stepping up to help. The Red Cross issued an urgent request for donors because it has recently been distributing 12 percent more blood products to hospitals each day than it did a year ago.
COVID-19 vaccinations have resulted in more people being out and about, and that has created a higher incidence of traumas and emergency room visits. This, along with blood drive cancelations during the pandemic, has created the shortage.
It isn’t only the pandemic that is forcing cancelation of blood drives across the country.
Wildfires in the West and hurricanes in the East also keep people from being able to donate safely.
L.A. Care Health Plan is holding a blood drive today, its eighth during the pandemic. The Red Cross staff continues to follow strict safety protocols, including holding the drive in a large conference room, to allow for social distancing.
Other Red Cross safety protocols include:
- Both volunteers and donors will wear masks at all times
- Staff will wear gloves and change them often
- All donor-touched surfaces will be sanitized after each donation
- Sterile collection sets will be used for every donation
- Hand sanitizer will be provided for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment
- Temperature will be checked before donors enter the blood drive
The American Red Cross will be at:
L.A. Care Health Plan
1055 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, Room 100
Tuesday, August 24
9:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Sign up to donate here.