Blood donors ramp up donations after COVID-19 causes severe decline

Donations dropped drastically at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but hospital patients still need blood products from donors.

The american red cross stayed busy today with blood donors doing what they do best.... giving blood and saving lives.

Fox 55's mallory beard met with some with of them to talk about donating during the covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 hit the blood banks hard.

With cities on shutdown, the main lifeline for blood dried up.

Blood donations plummeted at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.

But problems like cancer and car accidents don't stop.

Which means people still need blood donations.

So american red cross blood donors stepped up to the plate.

Let's go take a look inside.

"it's been several years since i've donated blood, but with this pandemic there's a big need... there's a big need for it right now.

Donors like melissa west gave whole blood today.

This means her donation will be split into three major components.

"and since i'm able to, i just felt the need to do it."

Platelets often for cancer patients.

Plasma for burn victims. and red blood cells for trauma victims. donor recruitment manager, zak bernath, knows the important role the donors play in the lives of patients they may never even meet.

"even though hospitals have shifted their focus to preparing for covid-19, the need for blood products is still there.

You have chemo patients.

You have general trauma patients who let's say were in a car accident.

And how donors continue to impact face of hospitals amidst the pandemic.

"and over the next few months, while we see a shift in what that looks like, we still know that over the next few months, the need for blood is still going to be there."

The need will be there, and lives can be saved if the need is filled.

Jennifer schlosser//donor "i don't know the statistics, but i'm sure there's thousands of lives that people are saving by donating blood."

In fort wayne, i'm mallory beard fox 55 news.