From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville Walmart will be the host for an upcoming community blood drive presented by LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. The drive is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is available to all eligible blood donors for COVID-19 antibodies.
The antibody test is authorized for use by the FDA. The test detects if someone has developed antibodies to COVID-19. A positive test might indicate some immunity to the virus. The test is not a diagnostic test and will not determine if the person currently has the virus.
Plasma donated from recovered COVID-19 patients, or those who had the virus but were asymptomatic, can be a critical tool to help those patients severely affected by the virus. LifeSouth has been testing potential convalescent plasma donors for COVID-19 antibodies since April, and hopes by testing all blood donors, more donors will be willing to donate. Since the first convalescent donation in April, LifeSouth has collected convalescent plasma from donors across their footprint in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. These units have been transfused to critically ill patients in local hospitals served by the community blood center.
LifeSouth encourages donors to make an appointment to donate but walk-ins are welcome. All blood donors will be given a $10 gift card that can be used at Walmart.
Donors must be at least 17 or 16 years old with parental permission, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in good health. A photo ID is also needed. For additional information, call LifeSouth toll-free at 888-795-2707 or visit www.lifesouth.org.