Your digest
Honouring Canada’s Lifeline ceremony postponed: Unfortunately, we have had to delay the launch of Canadian Blood Services’ first virtual Honouring Canada’s Lifeline ceremony. The Nov. 13, 2020 Facebook LIVE event has been postponed. We are working hard to secure a new date for this important celebration. Stay tuned and thank you for your patience.
One week to go — live Q&A with our CEO: Please join us on Tues. Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. ET for the next live townhall with our CEO. This month we will be focusing on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affects our organization. Let us know what questions are top of mind for you by emailing us at communications@blood.ca with the subject line “TOWNHALL.” Join by clicking on the meeting link in your Outlook invite. We look forward to seeing you all there and to continue these important discussions.
The link between blood type and COVID-19 severity: A recent study coauthored by Canadian Blood Services’ chief scientist, Dr. Dana Devine, shows that people with blood groups A or AB are more likely to have a severe COVID-19 infection than people with blood groups B or O. The study looked at patients critically ill with COVID-19 in the intensive care units of two major Vancouver hospitals. This finding adds to growing evidence that blood type plays a role in whether someone will get COVID-19 and how bad the infection will be. Dr. Devine cautions, however, that it seems to be a minor risk factor compared to advanced age or the presence of underlying medical conditions. “If you have type A blood, you don’t need to be terrified.” says Dr. Devine. “More research needs to happen to understand this phenomenon better.” Learn more on blood.ca/stories.
In honour — paying tribute to those who serve: Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country will look different this year. As the global pandemic continues to affect gatherings, parades have been cancelled and many services have moved online. The National Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11 will stream on Facebook Live while many regional Legions are offering alternative virtual events. In honour, we are sharing stories your colleagues submitted about their loved ones who have served or who are actively serving in Canada’s military. On Remembrance Day, we will pause to honour them. Lest we forget. Learn more on Connect.
Bringing the Lethbridge plasma donor centre team together: The team came together as a full group for the first time on October 5. "We're doing most of the training virtually, but during the first week we were able to safely bring the group together," explained Mike Mayo, donor center manager. Since opening the doors of the Sudbury plasma donor centre on August 25, the donor beds at the temporary location have been filled with enthusiastic plasma donors. This week, Sudbury surpassed 1,000 litres of plasma collected since the team began collecting plasma. Construction on the permanent donor centre is nearly complete. The team is looking forward to opening the doors of the new centre on December 1. Learn more on Connect.
Question of the day: When will we learn about more supports for working caregivers at Canadian Blood Services?
Thank you to everyone who participated in our caregiver focus groups last month. Your valuable input is being reviewed and we are aiming to start rolling out recommendations and an action plan before the end of the month.
Please keep an eye out in Your Digest in the coming weeks for new initiatives; and in the meantime, take a moment to review our COVID-caregiver series for an authentic glimpse into the struggles working caregivers are facing within our organization.
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