WA Blood Supply Drops To 'Emergency' Low Levels Due To COVID-19

SEATTLE, WA — Blood supplies in the Pacific Northwest are "at risk of collapse," as the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Seattle area has caused schools, businesses and other events to cancel blood drives, Bloodworks Northwest said Monday in a plea for donations.

"It is our shared civic responsibility to get the word out that our community is under a grave threat," Bloodworks CEO Curt Bailey said in a news release. "The cancellation of blood drives creates a serious public health concern since nearly 60% of our blood supply is collected at mobile blood drives."

The lack of available blood could force doctors to make "life or death decisions about who receives blood and who doesn't," Vicki Frinson, a vice president at Bloodworks, said.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Washington. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

As a temporary measure, Bloodworks, a nonprofit that serves hospitals in the region, has started receiving shipments from other blood centers across the U.S. But such shipments are unlikely to continue if COVID-19 spreads across the country, Bailey said.

There is no evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and all equipment is routinely sanitized, Bloodworks said.

To make a donation appointment or find out where to donate, visit BloodworksNW.org, call 800-398-7888 or text bloodapp to 98985.

People are asked not to give blood if, within the last 28 days, they have traveled to an area with a COVID-19 outbreak, lived with people who may be infected, or may themselves have a COVID-19 infection.

Related coronavirus coverage:

• Coronavirus Keeps Workers Home; Shops, Restaurants Feel The Pinch
• Before Coronavirus Shutdown, UW Students Pleaded: Close Campus
• 3 More Coronavirus Patients Die, 33 New Cases In King County