A Red Cross blood drive is taking place from 10 am.. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Cabelas, 10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas.
There is a need for more blood donations to maintain a sufficient blood supply for hospital patietns in need, according to a spokesman.
Those who come in to donate blood in a Red Cross blood drive from Oct. 15 through Nov. 11 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card through email, courtesy of Suburban Propane, according to a spokesman. Plus, those who come in to give blood in October are automatically entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Amazon.com gift card. There will be five winners, according to a spokesman.
The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual developed COVID-19 symptoms. Red Cross antibody tests will be helpful to identify individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies and may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions, according to a spokesman. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus.
COVID-19 antibody test results will be available within one to two weeks in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
The Red Cross also is encouraging people to get flu vaccines. Flu shots will not affect giving blood, as long as a person is symptom-free and fever-free, according to a spokesman.
Persons who are interested in donating blood to a Red Cross blood drive may visit RedCrossBlood.org. They also may call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).