Winter Blood Drive

Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center has responded to questions from several of our blood drive hosts recently on the Blood Center’s ability to continue collecting donations at mobile blood drives during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are writing to assure you this activity is approved under public health guidelines, even as we have seen an increase in COVID-19 infection rates across our region.

The Blood Center is working to remind blood donors and those who host mobile blood drives that blood donation is an approved, essential activity even as government bodies urge citizens to limit trips outside the home to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Blood donation centers and mobile blood drives are permitted to continue operations because:

• We follow Federal, State and local guidance for Blood and Plasma collection. See more about the guidance here.

• Blood donation events are essential healthcare services per the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and should continue even if Stay at Home orders are put in place by local and state governments. This exemption includes blood drive host locations, blood collection staff and volunteers and blood donors.
• Signs are being posted at all facilities and collection events asking people not to present to blood drives, to centers or to work if they are not feeling well or if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. We are asking these screening questions when scheduling donors over the phone as well.
• Only donors, volunteers and staff members allowed to enter our facilities for health and safety purposes.
• We have reiterated our existing protocol for keeping environments safe and healthy for workers and donors and are expanding upon existing cleaning and health hygiene practices.
• Donor Services staff are required to change gloves and sanitize hands between donors. Wipe down beds with disinfectant between donors.
• Hand sanitizer must be available at all stations at blood collection events for staff and donors.
• Staff at collection events and all facilities are being asked to frequently clean high-touch surfaces.
• Staff are distancing donors throughout the process.
• We are asking donors to make appointments to ensure health and safety protocols and to balance blood inventories in the weeks and months to come.
• DONORS AND STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS.  If donors do not have a face covering, they will be provided with one when they arrive for their donation.

Our Blood Center is the provider of blood and blood components to more than 115 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. To schedule an appointment for donation, call (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or via the Blood Center’s mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).