American Red Cross Facing Severe Blood Shortage Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Alana Mauger with the American Red Cross talks about how the outbreak is affecting blood supply donations and what you can do to help.

WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IS HAVINGIMPACTS ON MANY PEOPLE.DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LIKENATION'S AVAILABLE BLOODSUPPLY.ELAINE, FROM THE AMERICAN REDCROSS, JIM US LIVE ON THEPHONE THIS MORNING.GOOD MORNING'S LANE, THANKSFOR TAKING TIME TO SPEAK WITHUS.GOOD MORNING.THE OUTBREAK HOW IS ITIMPACTING BLOOD SUPPLYDONATIONS?THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NOWFACES A SEVERE BLOOD SHORTAGEAND UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OFTHE BLOOD DRIVE CANCELLATIONSAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COPE WITHTHIS CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.FOR PEOPLE ABLE TO DONATEBLOOD AND THEY WANT TO HELPWHAT ARE THE RED CROSS STEPSTAKING TO MAKE SURE THATDONORS AND THE STAFF REMAINSAFE THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS.THAT IS A GREAT QUESTIONAND WE UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLENEED IT, TO COME OUT TO ABLOOD DRIVE.WE WANT TO REASSURE EVERYONETHAT WE HAVE ADDITIONALPRECAUTION TOSS MAKE SURE THATOUR DONORS AND STAFF REMAINSAFE.SOME OF THESE INCLUDES TAKINGEVERYONE'S TEMPERATURES BEFORETHEY ENTER THE BLOOD DRIVE,STAFF, DONORS TO MAKE SURETHEY ARE HEALTHY.WE'RE PROVIDING HAND SANITIZERPRE DUESED BEFORE YOU GO INTHE BLOOD DRIVE AND THROUGHOUTTHE PROCESS.WE'RE SPACING BEDS APART WHERETHAT IS POSSIBLE TO COMPLYWITH SOCIAL DISTANCINGGUIDELINES AND WE'REINCREASING AND ENHANCING OURDISINFECTING OF, EQUIPMENT ANDALL THIS IN ADDITION TO THETHOROUGH SAFETY PROTOCOLS THATWE ALWAYS FOLLOW.WHERE CAN PEOPLE FINE THEMOST UP TO DATE INFORMATIONABOUT WHERE THEY CAN GET ANDHELP.EASIEST THING TO DO IS GETTO RED CROSS BLOOD.ORG AND YOU CAN TYPE IN YOURSIP CODE AND, FIND A BLOODDRIVE NEAR YOU.THIS IS MOST BEST WAY TO GETUPDATED INFORMATION SINCEBLOOD DRIVES ARE BEINGCANCELLED, ADDED HOURLY.LOTS OF CHANGES THERE.IN TERMS OF THE BLOOD SUPPLYIS WHAT RED CROSS DOING TOMAKE SURE THAT IS PROTECT TOO.WELL, THE GOOD NEWS ISTHERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT ANYRESPIRATORY ILLNESS, INCLUDINGTHIS CORONAVIRUS CAN BETRANSMITTED THROUGH BLOODTRANSFUSIONS SO OUR BLOODSUPPLY IS DEEMED AS SAFE ASPOSSIBLE.WE ARE ASKING THAT DONORS WHOHAVE TRAVELED TO SOMEPLACESINCLUDING CHINA, ITALY, IRAN,SOUTH KOREA, YOU KNOW, IN THEPAST MONTHS THAT THEY GETFURTHER DONATION FOS ARE 24DAYS FROM THE TIME THEYRETURN.THAT IS OUT OF AN OVERABUNDANCE OF CAUTION TO KEEPTHE BLOOD SUPPLY AS SAFE ASELAINE, THANKS SO MUCH FORYOUR TIME THIS MORNING GIVING