Blood centers across the country are entering dire straits amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic as closed schools, colleges, and other locations contribute to a shortage of blood donations.
America’s Blood Centers reported that more than half of its centers across the country have a two-day supply or less. Nearly 20% have a one-day supply remaining, and only 7% could last three days or more.
At the same time last year, only 8% of ABC locations had a one-day supply remaining. Nearly one-quarter had more than three days worth of blood.
The ABC has been sounding the alarm for months now. In October, the ABC and the American Red Cross released a joint statement warning that “the blood supply in the United States is critically low and the majority of the country’s blood centers are reporting significant declines in their blood collections.”
“The impact of COVID-19 as flu season approaches could further compound challenges to maintaining a readily available blood supply for patients in need of life-saving treatments this fall and winter,” the organizations wrote. “Blood donors are needed now to help maintain the adequacy of the blood supply and to ensure that blood is available.”
High schools and colleges comprise a significant share of donation sites. In New York state alone, 75,000 donations are made at educational institutions each year, according to ABC News. But, closed schools and virtual learning have brought that supply to a trickle. In New York, donations are at 65% of the average year, “well below what is needed by hospitals.”
Rural areas are often hit hardest by blood shortages. Not only do they receive fewer donations, but medical facilities rely on blood transfusions to stabilize patients while they are transferred to other locations for treatment.
Blood donation shortages have led to critically low supplies of convalescent plasma, a treatment that has proven to be highly effective for patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Red Cross Senior Vice President Paul Sullivan told ABC News that the Red Cross is “sending convalescent plasma to our hospitals at a rate faster than we’re collecting it.”
“Demand is high, and we need more people to come out to our blood drives,” he added.
