The American Red Cross revealed the nation is facing an emergency blood shortage, an issue in part prompted by the recent sweltering summer weather.
Since July 1, the national blood supply has fallen by more than 25%, the organization said in a news release.
That’s due in part to rolling heat waves and record-breaking temperatures sweeping the country, which seemingly impacted turnouts at more than 100 drives scheduled last month in every state where the Red Cross collects blood.
What’s more, blood donations typically slow over the summer due to seasonal activities like vacation and traveling.
All these factors combined have ultimately contributed to a shortfall of more than 19,000 donations for the month of July, meaning blood is being sent to hospitals and medical facilities significantly slower than it’s being collected.
The Red Cross said blood donors of all types, but especially people with Type O blood, are needed. Those with Type O make up about 30-40% of the population, making it the most common blood type, while those with O negative blood are considered to be “universal donors,” so their donations can be used in transfusions for patients with any blood type.
At the end of July, the New York Blood Center issued an “urgent call” for such donations, said Andrea Cefarelli, the center’s senior vice president. She said the nonprofit, a key provider of blood products for hospitals in the New York metro area, had the smallest amount of O negative and O positive blood stored since the start of the pandemic.
“Grab a friend if you’ve never done it, do it together and an hour later you’ll have saved a life,” Cefarelli said.
“It’s easier than you think,” she added. “People don’t think twice about getting a piercing or a tattoo. This is the same discomfort, but with life-saving results.”
It wasn’t the first call to arms issued by the New York Blood Center. In January and more recently in June, the organization declared a blood emergency due to lack of donations.
New Yorkers interested in donating blood can use the New York Blood Center’s website to search by zip code for locations open for donations and blood drive events. Those in the city and beyond can also find local blood drives or make an appointment at a donation center by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
