As cases of the coronavirus continue to increase across the country, with the United States now leading the world in the number of positive cases, millions of Americans have stopped attending large gatherings altogether.
One group that has suffered tremendously from the widespread practice of social distancing has been blood banks, with roughly 6,000 blood drives being canceled in the past few weeks, leading to severe blood shortages.
Blood Assurance, a blood bank based out of Chattanooga, will be holding a mobile blood drive this Monday at the Tennessee Children’s Home, located at 804 Branham Hughes Circle in Spring Hill. The blood drive will be held Monday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
To sign up to give blood at the drive, click here.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 18 years old (16 and 17 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids — avoiding caffeine — and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating.
A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives, with many patients relying on such donations on a regular basis, including those undergoing surgery, receiving cancer treatment or organ transplant, on top of unexpected traumas.