PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The American Red Cross on Tuesday announced that it is testing all blood, platelet, and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies, providing donors insight on whether they have been exposed to the coronavirus.
At the same time, the Red Cross said, there continues to be an urgent need for blood donations as hospitals resume performing surgeries and other treatments that require blood products.
Alana Mauger, Biomedical Field Marketing and Communications with the American Red Cross of Greater PA said, "As a result, we've seen about a 30% increase in the demand for blood products over the last 2 weeks, so we were meeting patient need, but now we urgently need people to donate so we don't run into a shortage."
Antibody testing will indicate if the donor's immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms, the Red Cross said. Donations will be tested using samples pulled at the time of donation and sent to a testing laboratory, where they will also undergo routine infectious disease testing. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity, the Red Cross said.
Mauger said positive antibody test results as a whole will be shared with public health agencies.
COVID-19 antibody test results will be available within 7-10 days on the Red Cross Blood Donor App or the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
The test has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Red Cross said.
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“As an organization dedicated to helping others, the Red Cross is pleased to provide more information about COVID-19 to our valued donors,” said Dr. Erin Goodhue, executive medical director of direct patient care with the Red Cross Biomedical Services. “If you are feeling healthy and well, please schedule an appointment to not only help saves lives but also learn about your potential exposure to COVID-19.”
The Red Cross said it is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test.
Donors can make a donation appointment by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device, the Red Cross said.
Thanks to Amazon, all those who donate blood between June 1-30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email (restrictions apply; visit RedCrossBlood.org/Together for more details.)
Blood drive safety precautions
To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, individuals who do not feel well or who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 should postpone their donation.
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance.
Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.