CARTER BLOOD CARE

Carter BloodCare recognizes there are concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak and that you may have questions about what this means for giving blood, your blood drive, and the safety of the blood supply.

Blood donation remains safe. The first line of protection for the blood supply is the routine health screening of donors. This includes our asking if you are healthy and feeling well on the day of donation. If you have any symptoms of illness, including cold or flu, you should not present to give blood. Blood donors are routinely screened for temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and hemoglobin. Carter BloodCare encourages all eligible blood donors to make and keep appointments; and for sponsors to continue hosting blood drives.

While blood drives may bring together groups of people, they are not gatherings which encourage attendance of people who feel unwell. We also follow FDA-regulated cleaning protocols to assure the safety of donors, our staff and the blood products.

Coronaviruses, which include agents such as SARS, MERS and the common cold, have never been spread by blood transfusion and there are no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted COVID-19, which is also a coronavirus.

Carter BloodCare is focused on providing a safe donation experience while ensuring a reliable blood supply for patients who require transfusions, today and into the future. The potential presence of COVID-19 in communities does not change the fact that everyday patients’ lives depend on the availability of blood for transfusion. Please partner with us as we remain vigilant in sustaining the availability of blood to hospitals and their patients, as it’s the blood on the shelf that saves lives. Your donations are essential.