Nonprofit blood bank Vitalant announced it will test all blood donations for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and provide donors with the results.
Vitalant, which is the first known national blood bank to take this action, said there is a critical need for all blood types, specifically for Type O, A-negative, and B-negative red blood cells, and is urging donors to give blood as soon as possible.
Broad use of antibody tests and clinical follow-up may provide the medical community with more information about whether people who recovered from COVID-19 are at lower risk for infections and for how long.