Mark Pompilio, public relations/marketing manager at the Community Blood Center described the traditional holiday challenges as being “compounded this year because of the pandemic.”
Traditional challenges during the holidays include fewer individuals donating, schools and businesses not hosting blood drives and the Community Blood Center being closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Pompilio said during Thanksgiving week this year the center registered 1,134 individuals to donate. The week before Thanksgiving 1,580 individuals were registered.
He said he is expecting a similar decrease in donors during Christmas and New Year’s.
“This year it’s been a constant day to day, week to week, month to month challenge to try to keep the basic blood supply needs,” Pompilio said.
The Community Blood Center has a goal of 300 donors a day, but Pompilio said it is hard to meet that goal because blood drives are not as big as they used to be due to the pandemic.
Nicole Thruston, an account development representative at the Community Blood Center said the center is starting to see the donating environment revert to what it was like in March when there were fewer donors because of coronavirus concerns.
She said the Community Blood Center is taking COVID-19 precautions by requiring donors and phlebotomists to wear masks, taking temperatures during the screening process and spacing donor chairs six feet apart. She added that the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Department of Homeland Security identifies blood donating as an essential activity.
The Community Blood Center has had over 1,000 blood drives cancel since March, Thruston said.
Several communities in Clark and Champaign counties have stepped up to help increase the blood supply.
“Clark and Champaign County as a whole has been very amazing throughout COVID-19. When we have needed them the most they have come together to help us keep the blood supply up,” Thruston said. “Since March, I have had 11 new organizations reach out and hold successful blood drives. The communities in these counties just continue to show support for the Community Blood Center by coming out and donating.”
The Village of Enon was previously planning to do three blood drives this year, but Thruston said she reached out to Kristy Thome, the village’s administrative assistant and clerk of court, to see if they were willing to host additional blood drives to help keep the blood supply up.
Thome agreed and local residents have consistently filled the time slots available. There are no appointments left for their blood drive scheduled for today.
The Village of Enon started doing blood drives over 15½ years ago when Thome’s son, Sebastian, was born with Spina Bifida.
Thome said he needed a blood transfusion right after he was born and then a month later. The Enon community has since then been doing blood drives in is honor.
“Enon is actually there,” Thome said. “Whenever you say, “hey, I need your help. We have this going on.” They show up and help with whatever we need.”
Thome said Sebastian’s last blood transfusion was six years ago.
The Village of Enon is planning to do six blood drives in 2021.
Father Paul Vieson Center in New Carlisle and Champaign Community in Urbana have also added blood drives, Thruston said.
The Community Blood Center is also looking for residents to donate COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) as coronavirus hospitalizations are rising.
“We have seen a massive increase in the usage of CCP,” Thruston said.
Throughout the pandemic, Ohio has reported 30,226 total hospitalizations and 5,010 ICU admissions.
“If you recovered from COVID-19, we want your plasma because doctors are giving it to patients in local hospitals if they are really sick from Covid,” Thruston said.
She added, 1 in 5 patients in the hospital for COVID-19 need CCP.
Any person who has had COVID-19 and has been symptom free for 14 days or any person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 antibody is encouraged to donate CCP, Thruston said.
“Donating now helps us get through the holidays and helps patients in local hospitals see another day,” Thruston said.
Upcoming Blood Drives:
Clark County
Dec. 14 - 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., Maiden Lane Church of God, 1201 Maiden Lane in Springfield. Convalescent plasma donations are accepted at this drive
Dec. 19 - 9 a.m. to noon, Clark County Fairground, 4401 S. Charleston Pike in Springfield.
Dec. 22 - 12:30 to 6 p.m., First Christian Church, 3638 Middle Urbana Road in Springfield. Convalescent plasma donations are accepted at this drive.
Champaign County
Dec. 23 - 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., Champaign Community, 1512 S. US 68 in Urbana. Convalescent plasma donations are accepted at this drive,
Logan County
Dec. 10 - 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Logan County Discovery Center, 1973 State Route 47 West in Bellefontaine.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 937-461-3220 or visit www.givingblood.org.
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