Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Coronavirus update – extra blood donors are urgently needed
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood needs an additional 7,000 donors to make appointments to donate blood through to Easter Monday to prevent a shortage. If you’re able and eligible to donate blood, why not give a donation? You’ll be making a really positive difference.
Who can donate blood at the moment?
Australia currently has around 500,000 blood donors, but millions of others may be eligible to donate. Normally, if you’re aged between 18 and 76, weigh over 50kg and are healthy and well, you may be eligible.
However, in keeping with government advice the Australian Red Cross is encouraging people aged 70 and over to postpone their donation during this period. There are other eligibility criteria which remain in place to ensure that patients and donors are safe from any risks. To be on the safe side, Lifeblood’s strict screening process means people who are unwell cannot donate.
During the pandemic, Lifeblood has introduced new rules to protect the safety of staff, donors and patients:
- anyone who has returned from overseas is unable to donate for 28 days after their return
- people who have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will have to wait 28 days before donating
- people who have been confirmed as having COVID-19 will not be able to donate until they are cleared by their doctor plus undergo an additional recovery period.
- people with mild cold-like symptoms will be unable to donate until they are fully recovered.
People of all walks of life need blood products. Some need it to get them through a serious event in their lives, like cancer or a difficult pregnancy. Others have medical conditions which mean they need blood products regularly to stay alive.
Providing this life-saving blood is only possible through the generous donations of almost half a million unpaid voluntary donors.
The Red Cross also has more than 1,000 volunteers at their donor centres whose generosity and hard work inspire donors to keep giving.
You can donate blood at any of their 90 permanent donor centres and mobile donor centres across Australia. To find out more about how you can help, head to their website today!
