Medic Regional Blood Center – urging donors to continue to give blood and platelets amid COVID-19 outbreak.

MEDIC Regional Blood Center COVID-19 3.17.20 Update

WHO:             MEDIC Regional Blood Center

WHAT:            MEDIC Regional Blood Centeris urging donors to continue to give blood and platelets amid COVID-19 outbreak.

WHEN:            Immediate/Ongoing Need

WHERE:          MEDIC Regional Blood Center Donor Centers (Downtown Knoxville, Farragut, Athens and Crossville)

                   Mobile Blood Drives List www.medicblood.org

WHY:              MEDIC Regional Blood Center will continue to have an immediate need to supply products to regional hospitals.

Industry Stat: Across the blood industry, we have seen more than 4,000 blood drives cancelled, resulting in some 130,000 fewer blood donations due to coronavirus concerns.

MEDIC Key Talking Points – Beginning March 17, 2020:

  • Staff, donors and visitors will undergo a daily check-in upon arrival at any facility or mobile drive.
    • The check-in will include a temperature check as well as answering if they feel healthy and well and if someone in the household has been diagnosed with COVID-19/Coronavirus.
    • Temperature must be 99.5 degrees or less to continue.
  • After completing the initial check-in, each donor goes through a mini physical that includes a temperature check as well as a visual check on the donor’s well-being. We look for coughing, nose draining or if the donor is having a hard time breathing.
  • Individuals should not donate if they are feeling ill.
  • Donors are asked a series of questions that include whether they have traveled outside the country.
  • MEDIC follows appropriate infection control standards of donor rooms and mobile buses and uses single-use equipment for collection procedures.
  • Blood collected at MEDIC is always tested for various infectious diseases.
  • Blood donation is not a mass gathering or social event.
  • MEDIC is following Knox County Health Department guidelines and updates.
  • According to the FDA, there is no known risk of transmission of COVID-19 through the blood donation process or from blood transfusions.
  • According to the FDA, there is no intrinsic risk of the safety of the blood supply, but there is risk to the availability of blood for patients in need because of an increase in cancelled donation appointments and blood drives.
  • The blood on the shelves right now is the blood that would be used in a trauma/disaster situation, for surgeries and for cancer patients in need of a blood transfusion due to treatments.
  • MEDIC serves 25 hospitals in 22 counties.
  • MEDIC is not a healthcare provider and thus does not provide a coronavirus test.
  • It is imperative that healthy and well individuals continue to donate in the coming weeks.

As a reminder, the blood on the shelves now is what would be used in a trauma event and it takes three days for donated blood to be processed and ready for distribution.    

WEBSITE:        www.medicblood.org

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