The American Red Cross announced that they will be testing for COVID-19 antibodies in blood donations for a limited time.
Antibody testing will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus following vaccination or infection, regardless of whether they developed symptoms, according to the Red Cross.
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Anyone who donates in March will get a $10 Fanatics e-gift card and will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with Marita Salkowski, Regional Communications Director for American Red Cross, and she said they’ve seen an uptick in the request.
“While we are no longer in a crisis situation, we don’t want to give the impression that everything’s okay. Because it’s certainly not, you know? We need people to continue to make their blood donations on a regular basis,” Salkowski said.
The Red Cross says COVID-19 antibody test results will be available 1-2 weeks after donation in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
The Red Cross first tested donations for antibodies earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic to provide this convalescent plasma to patients.
When infection rates decreased and new treatment options became available, the Red Cross discontinued the program