LIVE: Coronavirus Fears Stop Blood Donations

They say it's safe. Here's what to expect when you go in to donate.

Vitalant is behind only one other agency in supplying most of the nation’s blood collection.

Yet, as we hover between two major disasters — the global pandemic rampaging through America, and the death of George Floyd at the hands of police and the civil unrest that’s followed — Vitalant has seen nearly 2,000 blood drives cancelled.

Katie Bartelson, Vitalant’s senior donor recruiter, said they’re getting a lot of calls from people afraid to come in and make donations because they’re afraid they’ll pick up coronavirus.

She says it’s not only safe to donate — it’s critical.

More than 57,000 potential blood donations have gone uncollected so far during the pandemic, Bartelson said.

She Zoomed in live for an interview with the Morning Show’s Emily Welker to talk about how they screen for Covid-19, how they’re protecting staff and donors during the visit, and why the reopening now of businesses and resuming non-essential surgeries is making blood more needed even before the pandemic began.