Blood drives still vital and safe during COVID-19

It is still important to donated blood during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is still safe to donate blood as extra percautions were put in place during the LifeServe Blood Centers blood drive at the Osceola United Methodist Church Apr. 9.

The FDA and CDC have not recommended any additionan action be taken by blood centers at this time because the COVID-19 virus doesn not pose any rist to blood donors either during donation or by attending organized blood drives.

There have been no cases of transfusion-transmission ever reported or suspected of COVID-19, or the two other coronaviruses SARS and MERS-CoV.

Since there are patients who need blood around the clock it is important for healthy donors to continue to donate as long as it is safe to do so to maintain and adequate blood supply.

LifeServe Blood Centers can be reached at www.lifeservebloodcenters.org or 800-287-4903.