The American Red Cross warned this week that it is facing a “national blood crisis.”
The organization said its “worst blood shortage in over a decade” is “posing a concerning risk to patient care” and that doctors have been “forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.”
WORST EMERGENCY BLOOD SHORTAGE SINCE 2015 CAUSED BY PANDEMIC: AMERICAN RED CROSS
The contributing factors to the crisis include a 10% decline in overall blood donor turnout since March 2020, a 62% drop in college and high school blood drives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing blood drive cancellations because of illness, staffing limitations and weather-related closures and a surge of COVID-19 cases and an active flu season that “may compound the already bad situation.”
“At a time when many businesses and organizations across the country are experiencing pandemic challenges, the Red Cross is no different. We are all learning how to live in this new environment, how we spend our time, where we work, how we give back, how we make a difference in the lives of others – donating blood must continue to be part of it,” the Red Cross wrote.
Officials say Minnesota’s blood bank donations are at a 10-year low and regional blood donations are down 10%, according to Red Cross spokeswoman Tonia Teasley.
Minnesota Public Radio News reported Memorial Blood Centers’ Dr. Jed Gorlin pointed out that car accidents and violence are also factors in the recent shortage in the state.
“We have had more penetrating trauma, gunshot wounds and knife wounds, as of the end of August than we did in all of 2019,” he said. “So, sadly this is not just a problem of decreased donations. This is also increased usage.”
“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red…
Source : foxnews
