For just the second time in their history, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis.
The Red Cross says blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low, which they say deepens “an emergency shortage that threatens the availability of lifesaving blood for patients across the country.” The last blood supply crisis was declared in 2022.
The Red Cross says blood donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand, which saw an increase during the summer trauma season. Further strains on the blood supply resulted from a decrease in donations due to extreme heat, poor air quality, and widespread foodborne illnesses. The Red Cross has begun limiting distributions of Type O blood to individual hospitals to ensure the most commonly transfused blood type is available for the most critical emergencies.
The Red Cross urges eligible blood donors, especially those with Type O blood, to schedule a donation. As an added incentive, donors between now and August 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. Visit www.redcrossblood.org for more information on donating or to schedule an appointment. Donations may also be made by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or in the Blood Donor app.
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