‘Community has really come together.’ Blood drive held in Merced, need during pandemic grows
State Assemblymember Adam Gray and UC Merced interim chancellor Nathan Brostrom were two of the 28 people who registered to donate blood during a Red Cross blood drive at the Italo-American Lodge in Merced on Wednesday.
Gray, D-Merced, hosted the blood drive, which was open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., as a way to give back during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gray, along with Valley officials and the North Valley Labor Federation, also recently launched a Central Valley Personal Protective Equipment Initiative to collect medical supplies for first responders and health care professionals.
“People have been making masks, volunteering time, pitching in to help the community, and this is one way that we know we can help,” Gray said. “There’s a lot of folks during this health crisis who are facing very difficult situations and giving blood one way you can give back.”
The nation’s lead blood collector, the American Red Cross, had at least 4,500 drives canceled due to COVID-19, resulting in about 150,000 less donations, The New York Times reported.
“At the beginning of March we saw a big drop off in blood supply,” said Amy Perreira, who is a Red Cross team supervisor. “The community has really come together.”
According to Red Cross account manager Lis Garcia, there is a “safe and secure” blood supply level in California.
“The challenge now is maintaining that blood supply,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia, the Red Cross is working with the Merced Union High School District to set up future blood drives at Merced, Livingston and Atwater high schools in May. The next blood drive is scheduled for May 1 at Merced High.
Blood donations have a shelf life. While plasma lasts about a year, donations of red blood cells are usable for 42 days and platelets expire after only five days. This makes replenishing crucial.
“Donating blood at all times is really important but it’s especially important right now during this pandemic,” Brostrom said. “We are experiencing a public health crisis and we need a blood supply that is fresh very often.”
According to Perreira, the Red Cross is taking extra precautions at the blood drive sites due to the coronavirus.
To prevent crowded rooms, people who wish to donate are asked to pre-register and are given an appointment time. People can register at redcrossblood.org.
Everyone who enters the room is asked whether they have recently traveled to places like Hong Kong, China and Italy. If they have, they are asked to self defer themselves for 28 days.
Temperatures are taken at the door. Donors must have a body temperature of 99.5 degrees or less to donate. All donors must wear masks.
Social distancing rules are followed with donor stations separated and chairs spaced out 6 feet apart. The equipment is also sanitized after each donor.
“There’s just so many Californians and so many Americans who are facing very serious health situations,” Gray said. “So if you’re healthy, you’re home, you’re staying safe, this is a safe way to come out. As you can see, looking around, we’re following the protocols and following the safe distances and this is a way you can give back.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 5:20 PM with the headline "‘Community has really come together.’ Blood drive held in Merced, need during pandemic grows."
