The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth many challenges, one being an unprecedented challenge to the country’s blood supply. In fact, Jaclyn Seymour, community relations specialist for Community Blood Bank, said that back at the start of the pandemic in March, CBB faced a 35% decrease in mobile blood drives due to businesses and organizations not operating on site or operating in a limited capacity.

Currently, the organization is still facing a 30% decrease in mobile blood drives due to the continuation of the pandemic.

“We have been facing a critical blood shortage for months now, and with the uncertainty around what tomorrow will bring, it’s important we see anyone who is eligible and able to donate and come give blood,” she explained.

Donating blood only takes around 30 to 45 minutes and can save up to three lives.

“That half hour of your time could mean a lifetime to a patient in need of a life-saving unit of blood,” said Seymour. “That’s why it’s important to donate.”

Seymour also noted it’s important to donate routinely, because if everyone donated blood twice a year, there would be no blood shortage for the patients in need.

The nation’s blood shortage also comes at a time when experts are rushing to find a vaccine for COVID-19. CBB Technical Director Tracy Collier discussed how donors can not only donate to the much needed lifesaving blood supply, they might also be able to take a quick antibody test and help someone with severe COVID-19 to recover.

Collier explained that requesting an antibody test while donating blood doesn’t take any extra time.

“The only difference when you are receiving an antibody test is we take one more of the sample tubes we collect to send out for testing,” she noted.

So how exactly does antibody testing work?

“Antibody tests detect specific antibodies that your body has manufactured to help you recover from a specific disease or infection,” said Collier.

She further explained the concept with a baking analogy.

“Think of your blood as an oatmeal cookie recipe,” she explained. “If the presence of COVID-19 antibodies is confirmed by this further testing, your oatmeal cookies contain raisins. If the presence of COVID-19 antibodies is not confirmed, your recipe does not contain

raisins but only plain oatmeal.”

If a donor tests positive for COVID-19 antibodies, CBB will ask the donor to return and donate COVID-19 convalescent plasma and will send samples for further testing to confirm the presence of COVID-19 antibodies. The additional donation could, in turn, help someone with severe COVID-19 to recover from the virus.

Seymour said CBB encourages anyone who hasn’t donated in awhile, or maybe never donated, to give it a chance.

“It’s a great opportunity to give back during this difficult time we are going through,” she said. “One way you can lend a hand during this pandemic is to roll up your sleeve and lend an arm.”

If anyone has any questions about donating or would like to schedule an appointment, they can call Shari Jerman at 814-686-3696.