Blood drive, antibody testing planned at Smithfield YMCA

Published 12:53 am Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Carrollton resident Julie Sell has partnered with the American Red Cross to host a community blood drive at the Luter Family YMCA in Smithfield on July 8.

This will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone who donates blood will also receive a free COVID-19 antibody test, which, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, checks a person’s blood for antibodies that might indicate a past COVID-19 infection.

The blood drive will be by appointment only. Donors can make an appointment by downloading the Red Cross smartphone app, which will also facilitate expedited check-ins the day of the event and will be the means by which donors will learn the results of their antibody tests. Those without the app can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make an appointment, or search for the 23430 ZIP code on redcrossblood.org.

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Plans for the community blood drive came about when Sell, who had signed up to donate blood earlier this year, had picked a date that ended up falling at the peak of Virginia’s COVID-19 pandemic and needed to reschedule. She plans to assist with taking donors’ temperatures at the entrance to the Y the day of the event.