Red Cross Now Testing Donated Blood For COVID-19 Antibodies

The American Red Cross is allowing donors to give blood and get tested for COVID-19 antibodies in one "shot."

The Red Cross announced Monday morning that they will immediately being testing all blood donations for the COVID-19 antibodies, for a limited time. They are also offering an added incentive to help prevent summer blood shortages.

By testing your blood, the Red Cross will be able to tell you if you've had any exposure to the Coronavirus. If you give a donation you will be able to access the antibody test results within 7-10 days on the blood donor app or on the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. The tests utilized by the Red Cross have been approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Executive Medical Director of Direct Patient Care with the Red Cross Biomedical Services is Dr. Erin Goodhue. Dr. Goodhue says, "If you are feeling healthy and well, please schedule an appointment to not only help saves lives but also learn about your potential exposure to COVID-19."

In addition to the notification about antibodies, if you donate in the month of June you will be rewarded with $5 towards your next Amazon purchase. Amazon has teamed up with The American Red Cross to give a $5 Amazon gift card via email to all donors this month.

Donation appointments can be made by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). For Amazon's sake, you can also sign up by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. There is always a need for blood and as elective surgeries are increasing, more blood will be needed.