According to the Red Cross, nearly 600 blood drives have been canceled across the country, leaving approximately 18,000 fewer donations to the blood bank -- and the organization expects these statistics to grow. All this, they explain, is a product of coronavirus concerns.
"Increasingly troubling is that we expect this number to continue to grow with the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, making it difficult to sustain the blood supply for patients in need," Jodi Sheedy, a Red Cross spokesperson , told ABC News.
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"The potential for transmission of [the virus] by blood and blood components is unknown at this time," the FDA statement said. "However, respiratory viruses, in general, are not known to be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus."
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The Red Cross is, however, implementing several safety measures at blood drives, including: employees wearing gloves, wiping down donor-touched areas, using sterile collection sets for donations and preparing donation arms with aseptic scrub.
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