DALTON, Ga. — As the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues spreading across America, many are seeking ways to help, one of which is donating blood. 

“There’s not a whole lot you can do to make a difference, but this is simple and easy,” said Heather McGlothlen, who donated two bags of her blood at the Community Hospice drive on Monday. “I can walk away feeling I’ve done something.”

Blood Assurance drew blood from donors during drives at Community Hospice and Rock Bridge Community Church on Tuesday. 

While Blood Assurance currently has a healthy supply of blood, that could change as the nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus, said Brian McDaniel, executive director of operations for Blood Assurance in Georgia. “We anticipate … we’ll be in a place where we really need donors to come out.” 

Community Hospice hosted the blood drive because “we love our community, and we want to give back to our community,” said Tim Tankersley, chief operating officer. “We know there’s a large need.”

Rock Bridge’s blood drive was planned for May, but moved up to address the crisis, said Kimberly Glover, administrator for Rock Bridge’s Dalton campus. “It was important to push it and do it as quick as possible.”

Donating blood is personal for Glover, as her mother-in-law, who died from cancer in February, needed blood constantly, and “she had no life without someone to give her blood,” she said. “I thought, ‘What if there’s someone like my mother-in-law who needs blood?’”

“There will be,” chimed in Dan Long, who helped coordinate Rock Bridge’s effort. “There is no synthetic substitute for blood, (so) the only way to get it is from a donor.” 

Blood Assurance has begun collecting convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to be used as an investigational U.S. Food and Drug Administration treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients, as well, and “we’re very excited to do that,” McDaniel said. Plasma is separated from red blood cells, the donor then receives those red blood cells back, and that plasma then goes to as many as four recipients, so “one person can help save four lives.” 

To donate convalescent plasma, a person must have had an official diagnosis of COVID-19 but be recovered and symptom-free for 28 days, or be symptom-free for at least 14 days and have a negative COVID-19 test, as well as meeting all the other standard requirements of donating blood, according to Blood Assurance. More information can be found online at https://www.bloodassurance.org/about-plasma-donation.

Donating blood and plasma during this time is “safe,” as well as “good for our community,” said Gay Henderson, who donated at Rock Bridge and is a member of that congregation. “Hospitals and people need blood, and I have O positive blood, a really common blood they need.” 

Everyone took precautions to protect against the pandemic at Community Hospice, too. For example, a community member donated masks for everyone to wear, individuals called in advance to make appointments, and donors waited in their vehicles in the parking lot before entering the Blood Assurance bus in order to maintain social distance, said Katie Walker, who organized the drive and is Community Hospice’s lead social worker. “We’re keeping everyone as safe as we can.”

“They are medical professionals, so I’m sure they’re taking measures I wouldn’t even think about, which made me feel even safer,” McGlothlen said. Donating blood “is a really easy thing to do that doesn’t take much time, and it could mean life or death for somebody.”