American Red Cross urgently requests blood donations

Indianapolis, Indiana – American Red Cross officials have noticed a shortage of blood in the country.

According to the Red Cross, pandemic-related crises are causing blood drives to be canceled, and many high schools have stopped hosting blood drives as a result.

Since early August, the national supply has decreased by about 25%, according to the Red Cross, which provides 40% of all blood in America. As a result, the Red Cross says it hopes to increase its supply of all blood types. This amounts to a donation shortage of around 30,000.

On Monday the nonprofit tweeted, “Fewer blood donors have come to give due to back-to-school activities, summer travel, and an already active hurricane season. If you’re eligible to donate blood or platelets, we’re urging you to make an appointment now.”

Many individuals rely on blood for emergency assistance, according to Dr. Baia Lasky of the American Red Cross, including patients who require life-saving blood transfusions for ailments like cancer or sickle cell disease.

“About 40% of this country’s population is eligible to donate and only about 4% do,” Lasky said.

Additionally, there is an urgent need for platelet donors, particularly type O blood donors. Because they can give red blood cells to anyone, donors of type O blood are referred to as “universal donors”.

“For so many patients living with urgent medical care needs, crises don’t stop with natural disasters,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the American Red Cross, said in Monday’s announcement.

Anyone interested in donating should schedule a time to do so.

“Blood cannot be manufactured. It can’t be stockpiled and, really, it’s the blood on the shelves on a daily basis that is needed to save lives,” explained Lasky. “Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood— an often-invisible emergency that the rest of the world doesn’t see behind closed hospital doors. Now, that urgency has only heightened.”

To schedule a donation, use the Red Cross blood donation app. Visit redcrossblood.org or dial 1-800-Red-Cross to learn more.