'Always needed': Annual Carolina Blood Drive to be held in June with COVID-19 precautions

Even during a pandemic, the need for blood is high. 

While the country has been on lockdown, so have many locations used to hold blood drives, decreasing the availability of blood transfusions for patients who need them. 

Despite these challenges, UNC’s Employee Forum and the American Red Cross plan to hold the annual Carolina Blood Drive at the Dean E. Smith Center on June 2, and are inviting community members to make appointments to donate blood. 

“The Red Cross has been allowed to function the entire time throughout this epidemic because blood products are always needed,” said Jim Potts, chairperson of the blood drive planning committee and associate chemical hygiene officer for UNC Environment, Health and Safety.

Potts explained how the blood drive will function while also considering COVID-19 guidelines and precautions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

He said temperatures will be taken for every staff member, volunteer and donor before they enter the door of the Smith Center. Donors will be asked about their health history and whether they have traveled recently or been in contact with anyone with COVID-19, Potts said. 

Hand sanitizer will be provided at every station, and volunteers will be disinfecting any areas touched by donors, including chairs, tables and tablets that volunteers will be checking in on, Potts said. The canteen, where food is provided afterwards, will also be disinfected, and all food will be individually wrapped. 

He also said social distancing measures will be implemented at the blood drive, in order to ensure the safety of the community. Every bed and seating in waiting areas will be distanced at least 6 feet apart. 

“We’re trying to reduce the amount of volunteers needed and decrease the amount of personal interactions on our side, to alleviate the amount of contact that other people need to have when they’re there,” Potts said. 

This year will be the 32nd Carolina Blood Drive. Potts said over the years, the blood drive has potentially impacted the lives of over 100,000 people. He said it is the ninth largest single-day blood drive in the United States with the Red Cross. 

The blood drive hopes to have a normal turnout this year, and is aiming for 800 units of blood, he said. Each unit of blood can be split into three different blood products, having the ability to be used for three people. If the donor goal is met, the blood drive has the potential to impact the lives of 2,400 people. 

“We are hoping that people feel encouraged to make a difference at this time, and help us ensure that there’s a stable blood supply over the coming months to support patients who may require life-saving transfusions,” said Maya Franklin, external communications manager for the Red Cross. 

These transfusions could save the lives of those who have suffered a traumatic accident, mothers who experience complications during childbirth or children who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. 

Franklin said that currently, the Red Cross is able to meet the immediate needs of its hospital partners. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, they experienced a critical shortage due to the closure of many places that held blood drives, such as schools and businesses. 

Typically, shortages occur going into the summer months, Franklin said, making it critical to collect blood at this time. 

“We want to make sure that we don’t experience another shortage or any type of health care crisis on top of what we’re already experiencing now,” Franklin said. “So we ask people to take time as summer starts and people have vacation plans to take just an hour of their time to donate blood with us at the Carolina Blood Drive.” 

Lauren Ragsdale, a rising UNC junior studying music and dramatic art, plans to donate blood at the blood drive. Her blood type is O-negative, making her a universal donor, as her blood type is compatible with all other blood types. 

Ragsdale said she isn’t worried, because she knows that UNC is very cautious about donors’ health and safety. 

“I think that they’ll be really, really good at taking care of me and taking care of everyone there,” she said. 

Ragsdale emphasized the importance of donating blood and giving back to the community, especially now, when numerous blood drives have been canceled. 

“It’s basically just one of the easiest ways to volunteer your time, and yourself, and your health to other people that need it,” she said. 

Potts said the Red Cross has seen older donors phase out, and encouraged younger individuals to fill that role in the community.

The Red Cross encourages people to make appointments ahead of time instead of walking in, to allow the drive to adhere to social distancing guidelines and ensure the safety of volunteers, staff and donors. 

“We hope that people are aware of the need, not just during the pandemic, but all the time," Franklin said. "There are people who literally depend on blood to see another day. Their families depend on that blood to be available so they can spend more time with them and make more memories together.” 

Interested individuals can schedule an appointment to donate blood between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and sign up to volunteer at the Carolina Blood Drive.

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