Carter BloodCare is facing the "most prolonged period of a critical blood shortage in recent history," as blood donations drop during the coronavirus pandemic.
So starting Monday, June 22, Carter BloodCare will offer coronavirus antibody testing for a limited time, according to a press release from the non-profit. The antibody test is an indicator if an individual has been exposed to COVID-19 but not a diagnosis of immunity.
In the current blood shortage, some elective surgeries are being postponed at local medical facilities as they are in jeopardy of not receiving the blood transfusions they need.
The donation process is safe, according to the Red Cross, and U.S. health officials said there is “no data or evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transmissions for any respiratory virus, including this coronavirus, worldwide.”
The Red Cross also began offering antibody testing along with blood donations.
If you would like to donate blood, schedule an appointment to donate locally at http://www.carterbloodcare.org/ or https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/nbc5-pub.html/.
