Two Boston-area medical centers are seeking blood donors to keep supplies stocked during the coronavirus crisis.
With many companies now requiring employees to work from home, office blood drives are being cancelled across the U.S., said Richard Kaufman, medical director for transfusion services at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in a statement Thursday.
Regular blood donations are necessary to replenish the supply because the key components of blood, red blood cells and platelets, can't be stored for long periods of time, Kaufman said. And With many people now working from home, office blood drives are being canceled across the nation
Healthy people who want to donate blood can do so by scheduling an appointment at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on 450 Brookline Ave. in Boston.
Anyone looking to make a donation appointment or who has questions can call 617-632-3206.
The center only takes blood from people who are healthy and feeling well that day, and it's only scheduling a small number of donors for each appointment time to limit exposure to the new coronavirus for both donors and staff, according to Kaufman.
All surfaces are cleaned between donations, he said.
There is no current evidence that the coronavirus can be transmitted through blood transfusions, according to the statement.
