Donate blood in April and May

It looks like it will take a bit of planning for people who want to help maintain the region’s blood supply for hospitals.

Officials at Puget Sound Bloodworks are recommending people make an appointment in April and May to donate blood, since blood drives have been canceled due to Coronavirus.

“We need to keep the blood supply robust,” said Vicki Finson, executive vice president of blood services for Bloodworks Northwest, which is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe blood supply to more than 90 hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Bloodworks Northwest saw supplies drop in early March as public events were canceled in response to Coronavirus. Hundreds of blood drives were canceled since March 1 that represents a 11,500 reduction in donations, according to a news release from Bloodworks Northwest.

Locally, six blood drives in the Marysville area have been canceled, which means a loss of more than 150 donations. An April 16 blood drive blood drive at Arlington High School, which would have brought in 58 units of blood, was also canceled, according to an email from John Yeager, spokesperson for Bloodworks Northwest.

Finson said supplies fell in early March, but people responded after learning of the short supply. “Actually, the blood supply today is really strong.”

She recommended people make an appointment to donate at the nearest blood center. Bloodworks Northwest has a location is at 2703 Oakes Ave. in Everett. To make an appointment call (425) 740-2909.

Supplies will dip in April and Bloodworks Northwest will need help from the public, Finson said. The mobile buses, which account for 40 percent of blood drives, aren’t on the roads.

She said that no blood center tests for COVID 19 and, according to information from Bloodworks Northwest, there hasn’t been a reported case of transfusion-transmitted Coronavirus in the world.

Finson stressed that if anyone has any symptoms of Coronavirus – fever, cough and shortness of breath – then they should stay home.

For more information, go to www.bloodworksnw.org.