OCEAN CITY, Md. - A two-day blood drive for Blood Bank of Delmarva kicked off at the Ocean City Convention Center on Wednesday morning.
Blood Bank of Delmarva's blood emergency that was issued on May 13th remains in effect as of Wednesday. COVID-19 caused many drives to be canceled, which reduced the peninsula's blood supply. Blood drives started back up towards the end of May with strict sanitation and safety precautions in place.
Blood Bank of Delmarva aims to maintain a week's worth of blood, but right now it's supply is down to about 2 or 3 days. The organization hopes that as drives pick back up they'll be able to replenish that supply.
When donors walked into the Ocean City Convention Center on Wednesday, they had their temperatures taken. Donors then filled out a questionnaire, which addressed their likelihood of coming into contact or being infected with COVID-19.
"There's been no evidence that you can get COVID-19 from donating blood," says Communications Specialist Tony Prado.
Prado says donor centers remained open by appointment throughout the pandemic, but the mobile blood drives hosted by schools, organizations, and businesses are critical to the blood supply in the region.
"They account for 40% of the blood that we usually collect in any given week and that's important because we're supplying 19 hospitals here on the Delmarva Peninsula," Prado says.
Blood Bank of Delmarva is going the social distance as the mobile drives reopen by appointment.
"The donor beds are at least 6 feet apart" Prado says. "Our phlebotomists usually clean everything down, the donor chairs and whatnot at the end of each shift, well we're cleaning that stuff down between donors."
The organization's goal is to collect 250 units over this two day drive, which it says would be enough for 700 patients.
"We never think about it until we get to the hospital and we need some blood," says Father John Solomon of Ocean City. "It's good to do what we can and it's part about being a human being."
Wednesday's appointment book was full. Paul Till donates blood every time a drive comes to the Ocean City Convention Center.
"There's a continual need," says Till. "Don't worry about it. It's a piece of cake. Come eat cookies."
Click here to make an appointment to donate blood with Blood Bank of Delmarva.
