Blood banks appeal to healthy donors amid coronavirus concerns

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Blood banks in Central Florida and all over the country are seeing a decrease in donations. They say the coronavirus is very close to creating a blood shortage crisis.

With the announcement from the World Health Organization that the novel coronavirus has reached a pandemic status, turn-out at donation centers could drop even more.  

The American Red Cross says since the coronavirus outbreak, 125 blood drives have been canceled all over the country resulting in the loss of 3,500 donations. The message on OneBlood's website: "Now is the time to donate."  

George Soper is a retired teacher in Rockledge. He donates often and has even been recognized by Brevard County officials for giving 155 gallons over the years. 

"The only source of blood is from another person, there is no synthetic blood, manufactured blood or anything like that, we’re here and we can’t live without other people," Soper said.

Soper says he is not concerned about catching the coronavirus at a donation site. And OneBlood says the requirements for wiping down donor areas are already strict, the sites are cleaned multiple times day.

"Nothing that touches you hasn’t been sterilized and isn't new," Soper said.

The Red Cross says the coronavirus is not transmissible via transfusion. It is respiratory.