Have you wondered how you could help others during the COVID-19 pandemic? Donating blood is an easy and free way that you can make a positive contribution during these times.
Donating blood with the American Red Cross is easy, and can even help you embrace the spirit of fall and Halloween! Donate during the month of October to earn the Vampire Badge in the Blood Donor App. If earning the Vampire Badge isn’t enough motivation for you, you can also enter to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card during the month of October. You can use the Blood Donor App to schedule an appointment to donate, complete your pre-donation questionnaire (RapidPass), and track your blood’s journey from donation all the way to completion. You can also join the GW team within the Blood Donor App and have your donation counted towards GW’s total lives impacted.
Ever wonder if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic? The Red Cross is currently testing all donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Donating is a great way to find out if you have COVID-19 antibodies. To be clear - you will not be tested for COVID-19. Antibody tests assess whether or not you’ve had an immune response to COVID-19; it does not determine if the virus is currently present. People with antibody-positive donations can help coronavirus patients by donating convalescent plasma. Eligible convalescent plasma donors must be fully recovered from COVID-19.
Whole blood donations are used for blood transfusions, but can be used to help multiple people by separating red cells, plasma and platelets. The requirements for donating whole blood are simple: Donors must be healthy and feeling well, be at least 17 years old, and weigh 110 pounds or more. If you’ve donated blood recently, you should wait 56 days between donations. Donor centers are taking proper safety precautions during the pandemic. All donors and staff are required to wear masks, beds are socially distanced, and enhanced cleaning processes are being followed.
Donating blood is a great way to contribute in a small way during the pandemic. If the Vampire Badge and the chance to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card aren’t enough to convince you to donate, perhaps the post-donation cookies will entice you! Happy donating!
