During the pandemic, Hawaiian donates blood a 600th time
By Ronnie Allen Campman
Nonprofit Sector News
February 18, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to trigger blood shortages across the United States. However, new programs are now calling for not only blood donations but also convalescent plasma to fight the virus.
The blood shortage started when schools and businesses shut down in early March 2020, cancelling thousands of blood drives that were planned, explained Rodney Wilson, an American Red Cross spokesperson. Along with the location of blood drives, posing a challenge is the current extreme winter weather. Snowstorms and more cancelled more than 4,600 blood donations from late January into early February, especially in the Northeast.
On the opposite end of the country, donations for the Blood Bank of Hawaii decreased about 15% in 2020, according to Chief Operating Officer Todd Lewis.
Yet, with blood drives cancelled and stay at home orders in place, a Hawaii man continues to donate blood and even hit a milestone of 600 donations during the pandemic. Gerald Yamane, 62, has donated blood every two weeks since 1976 with the Blood Bank of Hawaii.
“It is my purpose, my duty to help save the lives of the people and children of our ohana (family). If it’s not me, then who will? It’s my personal responsibility to do that,” Yamane said.
He says donating blood is beneficial for not only those who need it but also for himself.
“I have to be healthy to donate so I try to watch my weight and blood pressure so it’s a good beneficial relationship.”
In Hawaii and other states, donating blood has remained an essential activity allowed during lockdown. “Mothers are in the hospital delivering babies who might hemorrhage, grandfathers can still have severe heart attacks and need immediate heart surgery and people injured in car accidents with severe trauma need medical treatment,” Wilson said. “All of those things must be able to continue and blood donations make that possible.”
Those who have recovered from COVID-19 are encouraged to participate in the Red Cross’ Convalescent Covid Plasma Program, launched in April of 2020. Individuals who have recovered from the virus contain COVID-19-targeted antibodies. These antibodies are found in plasma, which can be donated to hospital patients to strengthen their immune system while fighting COVID. In the first three months of the program, the Red Cross distributed more than 14,000 convalescent plasma products to critically ill COVID-19 patients, according to the program’s 2020 annual report
The lack of venues led blood drives to think more creatively. The Red Cross started working closely with churches, sports venues, police and fire stations—locations that don’t typically have a regular schedule of blood drives.
Safety protocols are in full effect at Red Cross blood drives across the country. Before donors walk in, temperatures are taken and hand sanitizer is used throughout the process. All donor touchpoints are wiped down between each session. Every element of the blood drive is spaced further apart, like the blood donor beds, in accordance with the CDC guidelines. At both Red Cross and Blood Bank blood drives, masks are required to be worn by staff and donors at all times.
At some blood drives, such as the Blood Bank of Hawaii, donations are being taken only by appointment to ensure social distancing.
To donate convalescent plasm, individuals must have a prior, verified diagnosis of COVID-19, but are now symptom-free and fully recovered. They must also meet regular blood donation eligibility requirements of being at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds.
Donating convalescent plasma can take up to two hours while a regular blood donation takes 10 minutes.
The American Red Cross was founded in 1881. Now the organization has more than 19,000 employees and 300,000 volunteers in the United States. Each year, the Red Cross collects more than 4.5 million blood donations and more than a million platelet donations. In 2020, the Red Cross distributed more than 6.4 million blood products to hospitals and transfusion centers, according to its 2020 annual report.