Three Ways to Connect this Holiday Season and Help Save Lives: Give Blood, Platelets or COVID Plasma

All those who come to give and boost a fragile blood supply will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - As the pandemic causes people to skip traveling and change family gatherings during the holidays, there are still three ways to commemorate the giving season and help support patients in need: donate blood, platelets or COVID plasma, also called convalescent plasma. Donating is another way families can come together to share their good health with patients in need, while socially distancing and practicing other safety measures. As a thank you, all those who come to give Nov. 25 – Dec. 1 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email.

Blood Donation is an Essential Activity

The U.S. Surgeon General and Federal Emergency Management Agency have designated blood, platelet and convalescent plasma donation as essential activities during the pandemic. Right now, the need for donations is great as approximately 3,000 Vitalant blood drives in the western division have already been canceled since spring, including those in the Sacramento region due to schools transitioning to virtual learning and businesses in work-from-home situations. Yet the patient need continues.

Emergency Need for Convalescent Plasma Donations

As new coronavirus cases surge across the U.S., the need for antibody-rich convalescent plasma donations from those recovered from COVID-19 has reached emergency levels. Antibodies within convalescent plasma can give an extra boost to patients battling the disease. People from the same household who have recovered from COVID-19 are encouraged to help patients by giving together.

All Donations are Tested for COVID-19 Antibodies

Vitalant tests all blood and platelet donations for COVID-19 antibodies and informs donors of the results—to find potential donors who could give convalescent plasma. In fact, donors whose blood tests positive for antibodies can help a COVID-19 patient with their plasma while their other blood components could help additional patients. Red blood cells help carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets help blood clot. Testing positive for antibodies also puts donors on a unique track to regularly give convalescent plasma to help even more COVID-19 patients.

How to Give

To learn more and schedule an appointment to give, please visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). All eligible donors especially those recovered from COVID-19 or with type O blood—are urged to make an appointment to give in the days and weeks ahead. Vitalant continues to deploy additional precautionary measures to ensure donor, patient and staff safety during the pandemic. 

Upcoming Blood Drives -

In addition to its 15 regional donation centers, Vitalant organizes several blood drives every day throughout the Sacramento region including the following - for a complete list, visit vitalant.org

• Woodland Community (Nov 19 and 20, 12PM-6PM, at Woodland Elks Lodge, 500 Bush St.)
• Vitalant Reed Avenue (Nov. 25, 10AM-3PM, 3240 Reed Ave., West Sacramento)
• 98 Rock ‘n’ Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive (Nov 27-29 at Market Square at Arden Fair)

About Vitalant

Vitalant (“Vye-TAL-ent”) is the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood services provider exclusively focused on providing lifesaving blood and comprehensive transfusion medicine services for approximately 1,000 hospitals and their patients across 40 states. Every day, Vitalant needs to collect about 5,500 blood and platelet donations to help save lives. For more information and to schedule a donation appointment, visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.