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The country is facing a blood shortage. When did you last give blood?
Hospital leaders say the shortage is unlike anything they've seen in years.
The nation is facing a continued blood donation shortage that’s impacting the medical care of millions of Americans.
After more than a year of hospitals prioritizing care for COVID-19 patients, they’re now facing an influx of patients who postponed medical care earlier in the pandemic. On top of that, according to the Red Cross, hospitals are also “responding to a higher number of traumas and emergency room visits.” The Red Cross has seen the demand for red blood cells from hospitals with trauma centers increase by 10% in the last year.
With COVID-19 cases rising due to the delta variant and hospital beds filling up once again, the demand for blood donations is at a high. Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of Red Cross Biomedical Services, said in a statement that the blood shortage is impacting hospitals across the country.
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“Right now, the Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations each day, above the average target, to meet current hospital demand. It’s critical that we increase the number of blood donations to match the growing need for blood to ensure every patient receives the medical treatments they need without delay.”
The shortage is being felt in New England, where hospital leaders say lack of supply is worse than it has been in years. The heads of the hospital associations in all six New England states recently put out a video calling on all healthy residents to donate blood.
We want to know: When did you last give blood? Whether the pandemic has encouraged you to donate or stopped your typical schedule of giving blood, we want to know what your blood donation habits are. Let us know why you give blood, or why you haven’t, by filling out the survey below or e-mailing us at [email protected] and we may feature your response in a future article.
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