Weather woes in one part of the country have negative impact on blood supply elsewhere
By Allison Graber
The latest winter storm on the East Coast is causing more blood drive cancellations and the American Red Cross is urging people in all areas of the country to schedule a blood donation in the coming days.
Earlier this week the Red Cross issued a nationwide appeal for blood donors to boost a dwindling blood supply. Winter weather caused thousands of blood and platelet donations to go uncollected throughout the eastern half of the country. The latest snowfall has worsened the situation, with more blood drives canceled and a total of about 16,400 blood and platelet donations not collected over the last several weeks. The Red Cross has not seen its national blood supply drop this dramatically at this time of year over the past ten years.
In the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross all blood types are needed, but there is a particular need for people with negative blood types – O-negative, A-negative and B-negative - to give blood now.
People across the country have been responding to the call for blood donors, and the Red Cross hopes that support will continue. Despite the weather, patients continue to need blood. After a prolonged drop in blood donations, it takes time to build the blood supply back to an adequate level.
The latest winter storm on the East Coast is causing more blood drive cancellations and the American Red Cross is urging people in all areas of the country to schedule a blood donation in the coming days.
Earlier this week the Red Cross issued a nationwide appeal for blood donors to boost a dwindling blood supply. Winter weather caused thousands of blood and platelet donations to go uncollected throughout the eastern half of the country. The latest snowfall has worsened the situation, with more blood drives canceled and a total of about 16,400 blood and platelet donations not collected over the last several weeks. The Red Cross has not seen its national blood supply drop this dramatically at this time of year over the past ten years.
In the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross all blood types are needed, but there is a particular need for people with negative blood types – O-negative, A-negative and B-negative - to give blood now.
People across the country have been responding to the call for blood donors, and the Red Cross hopes that support will continue. Despite the weather, patients continue to need blood. After a prolonged drop in blood donations, it takes time to build the blood supply back to an adequate level.