GREENSBORO, N.C. — The American Red Cross faces a threat to the nation's blood supply as schools, workplaces and college campuses cancel blood drives.
The organization says they've lost 86,000 blood donations as a result of the cancellations.
In the Greater Carolinas Region, 116 blood drives have been canceled, leaving the state with nearly 4,000 fewer donations.
You can donate as long as you are healthy.
Schedule an appointment by visiting the American Red Cross website, downloading their app, or calling 1-800-733-2767.
If you're worried about exposing yourself to any possible germs, the Red Cross is taking extra precautions for both donors and volunteers.
"We know that people want to help, but they may be hesitant to visit a blood drive during this time. We want to assure the public that blood donation is a safe process," said Chris Hrouda, president, Red Cross Biomedical Services.
New precautions include:
- Checking staff and donors temperature before they walk into a drive
- Offering hand sanitizer before the drive and during the donation process
- Spacing beds to practice social distancing between blood donors
- Extra disinfecting of surfaces and equipment
