Andrew Bennett, public information officer for Nevada’s Office of Traffic Safety, donates blood with Vitalant phlebotomist Shae Stanley during the 10th Annual Lindsay Bennett Memorial Blood Drive at UNLV Saturday, June 22, 2019. Bennett’s sister Lindsay Bennett, a UNLV Rebel Girl, was killed by a drunk driver in 2009.
Friday, April 3, 2020 | 2 a.m.
There are so many pressing medical needs surrounding the pandemic, and the Valley’s blood supply is one of the most significant. Vitalant, one of the nation’s oldest nonprofit transfusion medicine organizations, saw many of its blood drives canceled in the wake of the shutdown. According to Sue Thew, who handles public relations in the Southwest region, 100 blood drives have been canceled in Southern Nevada since March 19. That’s a loss of nearly 2,700 blood donations.
There’s a critical need right now for all blood types, and Thew wants to reassure donors that Vitalant has implemented every safety measure possible, from screening donors (only healthy, symptom-free folks should donate) to disinfecting surfaces in their facilities, to limiting the number of people donating at any time to assure social distancing. And for those worried that the coronavirus can be transmitted through blood transfusions, Thew says that’s not a cause for concern, as COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.
Thew recommends making an appointment, but she doesn’t want people to get frustrated if they can’t get one right away. “Our resources are limited right now because of the cancellations, and we’re doing everything we can to keep up. But the coronavirus is going to be impacting blood supplies for many weeks to come,” she says. “So it’s very important that people make and keep appointments for this week, next week and for the weeks to come to make sure that we have an ample supply at all times. Because blood has a limited shelf life, we cannot collect everything today to meet the needs for all the future weeks.”
To schedule a donation, go to bloodhero.com.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
