Local blood supply is ‘healthy and strong’ in spite of pandemic

ELENI KOPSAFTIS

Six weeks from her due date, the complexities and stress of pregnancy were heightened even more for Guelph resident Laine Greenidge when Ontario went into lockdown.

CTV News reported Greenidge and her husband had decided on an at-home birth due to worries about delivering at a hospital during the pandemic. While the birth welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world, Greenidge suffered a uterine inversion which landed her in the hospital anyway.

She ultimately survived the ordeal and is doing well, but the amount of blood she lost during the process was “a very scary situation.” To recover, she needed five blood transfusions. That amount adds up to the average blood volume of one person.

Greenidge told CTV News reporters “if I did not receive blood I would not have survived,” marking the everlasting importance of a steady blood supply in hospitals everywhere.

Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is the non-profit organization responsible for national blood donation clinics and blood-related research. Founded in 1998, they operate independently from the Canadian government yet serve as the country’s authority on blood in all provinces except Quebec.

The organization’s Guelph location is the Guelph Donor Centre. Through its operations, blood supply in Guelph has maintained a sustainable level over the years. CBS territory manager Kersten Dupuis told The Ontarion that the centre’s weekly donation target in 2019 was initially 176 units, but COVID-19 has since altered those goals.

While the local supply has remained “healthy and strong” thanks to regular donors in the region, the Guelph Donor Centre has since upped their weekly target to 220 units. Further, their original four-day schedule has been changed to five days, now operating from Monday to Friday.

Dupuis said that this alteration was to account for the loss of mobile clinics, such as ones hosted in corporate settings, local high schools, and at the University of Guelph.

U of G used to hold monthly donation clinics in the University Centre, with the aim of collecting 120 units, but the pandemic has limited the accessibility of clinics to just CBS centres.

Before the pandemic, the blood donation process was more flexible, allowing for walk-in appointments in CBS centres and mobile clinics alike. Now, donors must schedule their appointments in advance and adhere to increased health and safety measures.

Donors must now answer screening questions and have

As territory manager of the Canadian Blood Services, Kersten Dupuis manages donor relations at the Guelph Donor Centre which continues to schedule regular appointments throughout the week. CREDIT: KERSTEN DUPUIS

their temperature taken before entering the building. Once inside, donors will be given a new mask. Post-donation snacks, given to promote the donor’s health and energy levels after giving blood, are now to-go.

The Guelph Donor Centre has installed plexiglass screens between donation stations, and high-touch surfaces are being sanitized frequently.

The local supply’s sustainability is not without consistent effort. While a single donation goes a long way, some blood recipients (like Greenidge) often need more than one unit.

“The need for blood is constant,” Dupuis told The Ontarion. “Patients may require blood for a variety of reasons, including cancer treatment, blood disorders, accidents and trauma, and childbirth. These needs have not changed because of COVID and will continue to be present in the weeks, months, and years ahead.”

The shelf life of blood is 42 days for red cells while that of platelets is only 7 days. No matter how many units are collected in a single week or whether those units get used up or not, the blood supply will always need restocking.

“The need for blood also doesn’t take a holiday,” said Dupuis. “So as we approach the upcoming summer months and long weekends, we ask donors to continue to come out and donate through these holidays.”

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To book a blood donation appointment, you can either use the GiveBlood app available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, visit blood. ca, or call 1-888-2-DONATE.

The Guelph Donor Centre is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.