A new service will be offered during the upcoming Town of Fountain Hills and Noon Kiwanis Blood Drive, scheduled for June 19-20.

Vitalant has announced that all donations will be tested for antibodies to COVID-19. The antibody test, authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the virus regardless of whether they showed symptoms. It is possible that over time, the broad use of antibody tests and clinical follow-up with provide the medical community with more information on whether a person who has recovered from COVID-19 is at lower risk of infection, and if so, for how long.

In addition to the benefit of having the antibody test, Vitalant reported that blood needs have substantially increased.

According to Vitalant, a critical shortage of blood as supplies have been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The upcoming Fountain Hills and Noon Kiwanis Community Blood Drive should help with that decrease. The community historically has successful drives, including the one in April just as restrictions for COVID-19 were being put in place. There were 127 people who donated blood in April, while some 40 to 50 walk-ins had to be turned away.

The upcoming drive, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, will be held at the Community Center. The April event, due to the coronavirus, was conducted in mobile units provided by Vitalant.

To register for the June drive, call Dr. Liz Smith, 480-837-2600 (0) or 480-206-4785; or Paul Appeldorn, 480-836-8213. Registration also may be made online at bloodhero.com, using the sponsor code Kiwanis.

Donation hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All blood types are critically needed right now with an especially high need for types O-positive, O-negative, A-negative and B-negative red blood cells.

One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.

Vitalant’s Chief of Marketing, Cliff Numark, said convalescent plasma can be given directly to patients currently battling COVID-19 to help boost their ability to fight the ability.

“A positive antibody test does not mean that someone is immune to COVID-19, it does mean they may be eligible to donate convalescent plasma in the future and help people with the disease,” Numark said.

For more information, visit Vitalant.org/COVIDfree.