The American Red Cross has a serious blood shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many blood drives being canceled. As states slowly reopen, and blood drives are beginning again with restrictions, there's still a blood donation shortage in the U.S. Now you can get a COVID-19 antibody test with your blood donation for a limited time.

When you donate blood it automatically goes through a testing process of several different things, and when it's done you get the results of those tests through the blood donor app, which is a nice added bonus.  Here's what the American Red Cross says about the COVID-19 antibody test:

For a limited time, the American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies as an additional health service to our donors. This testing will provide critical insight into whether donors may have possibly been exposed to this coronavirus. The Red Cross is committed to helping others in meaningful ways during this pandemic.

The results of your antibody test will be available by logging in to your Blood Donor account on the Blood Donor App or online about 7 to 10 days after your donation. You can also find the results of your mini-physical, including temperature, blood pressure, pulse check, and iron levels. We are performing COVID-19 antibody testing on donations made on and after June 15.

Melissa/GBF
Melissa/GBF
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If you've never donated blood before, I highly recommend it.  You are helping people in need, and it's super easy.  I donated blood for the first time in 2019, and I'm honestly ashamed it took me that long.  I've only ever donated at blood drives, but the entire process took me, maybe an hour. Now that's an hour from the start of paper work, to getting my iron checked,  until I was done actually donating.  It was a super easy process, and it was nice to know I helped someone out.  Another thing I like is through the Red Cross app you can track your blood's journey which is really cool to see. I know my last pint of blood went to someone in Kansas.

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