Some of you know I'm a regular blood donor and a volunteer at high school blood drives. There are lots of large high schools in the greater Chicago area, and like much of the USA, the high schools and community blood drives supply somewhere around 50 to 60 per cent of our blood and blood products.
The blood drives I support contribute 100 to 200 or more units each drive. March and April are typically months with lots of blood drives, but not this year. Our Governor - rightfully I believe - shut down all public and private schools, and thus those scheduled and projected blood drives.
Many more drives are going to be cancelled, often not because they are problematic in-of-themselves, but because organizations and companies, etc. are implementing work-at-home. But if an organization is still functioning in-house, employees will be around the same folks at work/class that they would be at their organization's blood drive. Thus, almost no increased risk.
I'm urging you to support your organization's internal blood drives, or to go a donor center if a drive is not available or comfortable for you.
The need is desperate. Your donation will be used to save one or more lives.
Another very helpful action would be a double red cell donation. Takes longer, but twice the product.
I donate platelets and have scheduled myself every Monday on into April and will continue until I'm deferred. (Only 24 platelet donations allowed in a calendar year.)
So, folks, let's do something about this on-going, tragic, and scary situation.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and please do your part.