Central Texas Blood Bank In Need Of Donations Amid COVID-19

AUSTIN, TX — Officials of We Are Blood, the blood bank for the Central Texas region, on Wednesday issued an urgent plea for healthy individuals to donate blood.

The blood supply has lessened in the six months of the coronavirus pandemic, officials explained. The pandemic has resulted in hundreds of mobile drive cancellations that continue to severely impact Central Texas’ blood supply, officials explained in an advisory.

Typically, We Are Blood hosts a variety of weekly mobile drives, including those at workplaces, high schools, universities, churches and community centers, officials said. But due to the pandemic, officials added, many have been cancelled. Mobile blood drives typically account for 50 percent of all the blood bank's donations, according to an advisory.

The blood center requires at least 200 whole blood donations daily to meet the community’s need for blood and platelet transfusions, according to officias. Today, with blood drive cancellations, We Are Blood faces a severe lack of blood donations, new donors, and mobile blood drive locations.

“We are facing a long-term shortage of blood donations and new donors in Central Texas due to a lack of mobile drives in our community,” Nick Canedo, vice president of Community Engagement, said in a prepared statement. “During the fall school semester, high school and university hosted blood drives account for 30 percent of our mobile blood drive donations, the great majority of which are now cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise many companies that have traditionally been dedicated blood drive hosts remain remote and unable to partner with us.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, We Are Blood officials said the blood bank continues to host blood drives at locations willing to help, including Whataburger locations across Central Texas and amongst communities at places like Wolf Ranch Town Center, Arboretum and Lakeway’s Activity Center. We Are Blood is also open weekly at its donor centers, located in Round Rock, Central Austin, and off Slaughter Lane.

“While mobile blood drives are relied upon for half the blood donations we collect each week, they are also the way new donors join We Are Blood in helping our community,” Canedo said. “If community members have never donated blood before, or have not donated in a while, we encourage those interested to find an appointment at one of our centers or active mobiles drives.”

The FDA, which regulates and sets guidelines for blood centers in the United States, has reported no evidence of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus; and respiratory viruses, in general, are not known to be transmitted by blood transfusion (Source: FDA). Likewise, current processes for blood donor screening, which include travel and wellness checks, reliably prevent individuals with clinical respiratory infections from donating blood.

Donations can be made at any one of three area donor centers on North Lamar, Round Rock and South Austin. There are also mobile blood drives scheduled weekly. Appointments are mandatory and face coverings must be worn throughout the donation process. Check locations for hours and days of operation. Media selects can be found here.

About We Are Blood

We Are Blood is the exclusive provider of our community’s blood supply. They have been drawing Central Texans together since 1951, when they were founded by the Travis County Medical Society as the “Travis County Medical Society Blood Bank.” For over 66 years, their work to inspire folks to donate blood locally hasn’t stopped, and they now serve 40 hospitals and medical facilities in the 10-county area with a mission to provide and protect the community blood supply, to inspire Central Texans to save lives locally, and to always treat everyone they serve like family. We Are Blood helps ensure that all of the patients served have access to blood when they need it most. For more information and to book an appointment at any of their three donation locations or multiple mobile drives, visit https://weareblood.org, https://www.facebook.com/wearebloodtx/ or https://www.instagram.com/wearebloodtx/.