JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People donating blood can now be tested for the COVID-19 antibodies through OneBlood.
Within about 48 hours, people eligible to donate blood can find out if their immune system has produced antibodies to the novel coronavirus, regardless of whether they had symptoms.
“We want to avoid a shortage,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of corporate communications for OneBlood. "When you saw the rapid cancelation of blood drives back in March and we put the call out for people to come in and help, they did. There’s always a need for blood, today and every other day. We welcome anybody who meets the new criteria to please come in.”
Those wishing to make donations must make an appointment through OneBlood.org.
In an effort to maintain an adequate blood supply during the pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month revised its criteria for donor eligibility to include gay men who have refrained some having sex with other men for at least three months. Previously, gay men had to be celibate for at least one year.
“I used to give blood all the time,” said Earl Kelly of Jacksonville. “And actually when I came out, and I was more honest with myself and the people around me, I couldn’t give blood anymore.”
But the day the FDA announced its changes, Kelly said he called OneBlood to make an appointment to donate.
“A very nice young lady at OneBlood called back and said her boss told her she was going to have to cancel the appointment because they hadn’t made the necessary changes internal that needed to happen," Kelly said. "At first, I was crushed and then I was mad.”
Forbes the delay was because the organization had to update its computer systems to reflect the new donor eligibility criteria. She said the new eligibility rules took effect on Friday.
“If they were deferred in the past, on one of those deferrals, they need to call donor advocacy to get reinstated before they come into donate — that has to be changed in the system," she said. “It also helps brings forth additional potential convalescent plasma donors and we started collecting convalescent plasma back in April. This could help us find more as we find people who have the antibody. We are also helping provide de-identified data of the number of people testing positive and the geographical locations of those positives throughout the state to the governor’s office to use the data to help reopen the economy."
That’s welcome news for Kelly.
“That makes me want to call and make an appointment today,” he said. “That is something I feel very strongly about and I have wanted to do for quite some time.”
The FDA also relaxed its recommendations on those who have traveled to malaria-endemic areas. These individuals can donate blood as long as their trip was more than three months ago. And for those who could have been exposed to mad cow disease in Europe, the government has lifted its deferral all together.