With so many people staying at home, there is an impact on blood donations. Geisinger put out a plea for you to give and says it is easy and safe for you to do.
"People at this time want to do something to help. They can do a lot to help the people who need blood by donating. They need to understand how desperate we are for blood right now, and they also need to understand how safe blood donating is. We're trying to encourage them to come out," said Geisinger chief medical officer Dr. Gerald Maloney.
"We're trying to reinforce the message that we're given for a long time: that everything is clean, we use all sterile equipment, and they are at absolutely no risk of getting any kind of communicable disease from donating blood. The chairs have been spaced; everything's been measured, we've done everything possible to make sure that social distancing is maintained. The staff who takes care of folks have a mask, and it's all good. I think being able to make an appointment online does a tremendous job at reducing crowds, which again goes to the social distancing question. You're able to understand when it's right for you to come in. You don't all show up at the same time, and the donations are scheduled in such a way so that people come at appropriate intervals. When they come to donate blood, they can expect to be greeted by very friendly people, they can expect a painless experience, and they can expect a great snack afterwards."
You can find Geisinger's list of blood drives that are scheduled throughout our area here.
