Despite the pandemic, Inova Blood Donor Services says participation in blood drives has remained high in the region. Inova expects that need to go up soon as more people begin to leave their homes.
On Thursday, July 30, the Inova Blood Donor Services’ Bloodmobile will be set up at Inova Alexandria Hospital’s paid visitor’s lot from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. to keep up the services’ fresh supply of blood.
“Surprisingly, since COVID, we’ve had some great donor response,” said Heather Wade, donor recruitment manager for Inova Blood Donor Services. “When the surgeon general, back in late March or early April that it is safe to go donate, he meant it and those donors came out. They came to keep blood supply health.”
Wade said once elective surgeries started again in May, however, there was a small decline in blood donor participation.
“We’ve been able to provide for every patient in the D.C. metro region, but we really need to get back to seeing 200 donors a day,” Wade said. “Now we’re seeing 150 to 170, so we do have some concerns.”
Blood donation at the Bloodmobile is something of a mixed bag, Wade said. While the vehicle doesn’t allow for six feet of social distancing, Wade said that the staff take appropriate precautions.
“We’ve put in a lot of safety precautions, some we were already doing but more frequently,” Wade said. “We ask all donors to wear a mask and we’re in masks. We space appointments out so we don’t have 12-15 people on a bus. We have five staff on a bus and two donors every 15 minutes. We ask people to keep their appointment time and if they can’t, to let us know. We disinfect every donor bed after each donor and before each donor.”
Wade asked that anyone who makes an appointment to donate has their IDs ready.
In late August, Wade said Inova Blood Donor Services is also planning to go to Lost Boy Cider (317 Hooffs Run Drive) with two busses after the first trip had a great turnout.
Photo via Inova Blood Donor Services/Facebook
Recent Stories
It’s likely that during the day on Sunday, someone in Old Town will see a commotion on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. There will be fire crews assembled and a person…
Alexandrians will see their taxes go up this year, with most of that going to help Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved the FY 2025…
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria! ☀️ Today’s weather: Expect a sunny day with highs nearing 90 degrees and a west wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. Come Thursday night, the…
Stunning reno w/resort like amenities on almost 1 acre w/4 car garage; 6BR-5.5BA
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Potomac Harmony is Back! Following a gap year of competing, then virtual rehearsals during the pandemic, followed by the well-earned retirement of our long-term director, a year of a director search, Potomac Harmony hit the regional contest stage in Concord, North Carolina in March for the first time since 2018! It was exhilarating, reaffirming, and rewarding!
The chorus hit all of its goals, the biggest of which was to have fun and sing our best on contest stage — we did both! Because we earned a score over 400 points, our new Director, Allison Lynskey, was awarded the Novice Director award, photo above. Additionally, one of our charter members, Jackie Bottash, was nominated for and honored with the Leadership Excellence award. It was a celebratory weekend!
What’s next? So much! We now look forward to upcoming performances, growing our membership, and expanding our musical product with new arrangements and an education component each week. It’s an exciting time to be part of this ever-growing ensemble!
Alexandria NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, DPC to hold City Council…
The Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, and The Departmental Progressive Club to hold the City Council Candidate Forum for ALL Candidates in the City of Alexandria Virginia. The event is Free of Charge and Open to The
