INDIANAPOLIS  – Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is urging Hoosiers to schedule and keep their blood donation appointments at donor centers and organized blood drives throughout the state even as the coronavirus outbreak spreads to ensure the continued adequacy of the local blood supply.

“Patients in our communities and our hospital partners continue to rely on the generosity of blood donors. We rely on each other for this precious resource,” said Versiti Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Abshire.

“The donation process itself poses no risk of infecting a donor with coronavirus. Donors and our blood drive sponsors should be reassured that attending organized blood drives is safe. Coronavirus is currently not known to infect patients through blood transfusions.”

In some Indiana communities, many blood drives have been canceled and some loyal donors are not keeping appointments – both of which will have a negative effect on the blood supply.

It is critically important that healthy individuals continue to donate blood to minimize disruptions to the blood supply and ensure blood is available for patients. If the outbreak of coronavirus expands, travel-based restrictions could potentially reduce the number of eligible donors and measures suggested to reduce exposure to other people could disrupt community blood drives and donations at Versiti’s donor centers.

Public health officials are supporting the continuation of blood donation as critical to health care in our communities. Since it is the blood currently on hand that saves lives, maintaining a sufficient blood supply is essential to ensure patients in need receive optimal treatment.

Versiti is asking donors who recently traveled to China, Iran, South Korea or Italy to self-defer from donating blood for 28 days from their date of return to the U.S. Those countries are in line with the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel guidelines as the CDC is recommending people avoid nonessential travel to those countries.