Every year, the Public Health Scholars complete a semester of service-learning to further their understanding of the DC community. This year, the program will be hosting a blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on November 12th and 13th!
Due to the overwhelming number of COVID-19 cases, since early June, the American Red Cross declared a national blood shortage. Blood donations go towards blood transfusions for hospitalized patients in need of organ transplants. Public health officials have found that COVID-19 does not increase health risks for donors and organizations encourage eligible individuals to donate. American Red Cross will also test blood donations for infection to prevent potential spread. Follow the checklist below to understand the requirements and expectations of donating blood.
- Make an appointment
-
Donors can choose between Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13 to donate blood. Both days will host appointments from 11 am to 5 pm and donors can choose from two types of donations: blood or power red.
Blood donations are the most common type of donation, which takes about 10 minutes and collects approximately a pint of blood. Power red donations return most of the plasma and platelets to the donor, focusing on collecting red cells. Donors who chose power red must meet specific criteria and have either type A Negative, B Negative, or O blood.
- Create an account or sign-in
-
To confirm your appointment, you must either create an account or sign in to a previous one. The page will ask for basic information such as email, full name, and date of birth. Donors must be at least 17 to create an online donor account, donors younger than 16 cannot make their own account and must have parental consent.
- Day of the donation
-
All donors will overgo a mini-physical examination to check your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse as well as a drop of blood to ensure there are enough red blood cells to donate safely. Additionally, to increase precautions, all supplies are sterile and single-use only. This helps ensure that donors cannot contract anything from previous appointments.
There will also be a private questionnaire that asks about your health history, which can be completed online by visiting redcrossblood.org/RapidPass. RapidPass can only be completed on the day of your donation, earlier attempts will cause donors to redo their questionnaire.
Some donations have strict eligibility requirements including blood types, weight, and height, please read through the requirements before signing up for a session. Due to the high demand for donations, the American Red Cross is giving out a $10 e-gift card as a thank you to donors. Stay safe and have fun donating!
Photos: Her Campus Media