HHS calls for blood donors nationwide as Red Cross faces emergency blood shortage

WASHINGTON — There’s a plea for help from the American Red Cross for blood donors to roll up their sleeves as it faces an emergency shortage. The organization reports the national inventory dropped by more than 25% in July alone.

The Red Cross says summer is already a challenging time for donations because more people are traveling but this year’s record-breaking heat has also affected turnout. The extreme weather impacted more than a hundred blood drives over the last month.

“We need donors to give blood regularly and to stay committed to the process of giving blood on a regular basis,” said Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Admiral Levine said a steady supply of blood is necessary for healthcare. That’s because more than a quarter of all blood supplies are used in emergency rooms and critical care situations each year.

Admiral Levine added that this shortage can affect medical decisions.

“If someone has a severe accident and needs an operation, the doctors might have to decide how much blood they can give, and it could actually put someone’s health and even their life at risk,” she said.

The Red Cross reports all blood types are in demand right now especially O positive and O negative. It warns that hospitals have been given less type O blood recently because of the low supply.

Admiral Levine said there’s also a need for diverse donations from African American and Latino blood donors.

“For example, for patients with sickle cell disease who rely on, often, regular transfusions and there might be specific blood types and complex blood needs for those patients,” she said.

August also marks the beginning of peak Atlantic hurricane season. Officials say storms and flooding also lead to more blood drives being canceled and fewer donors coming out to the ones that are held.

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