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Disaster Zone Podcast: Blood Donations, Disasters and COVID-19

Our blood supply is critical day to day and during disasters.

The blood supply for a community, region or state is critically important. This podcast is an interview with Curt Bailey, president and CEO of Bloodworks Northwest. Their territory covers 8 million people in the states of Oregon and Washington. Consider this a "Blood 101" class on all aspects of blood collection and use. It's amazing all the blood products that are collected in just one donation. They, like everyone else, have had to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic by adjusting how they collect blood and developing new blood products. One of those adaptations is the use of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in the treatment of people hospitalized with the disease.

Listen to this Disaster Zone podcast: "Blood Donations, Disasters and Covid-19," and I think you will be motivated to find out more about your own regional blood supply system for where you live and work. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.