The American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage as the number of U.S. blood donors is the lowest it has been in 20 years. Specifically, the Red Cross has seen a 40% drop in the number of blood donors in the past two decades.
Donor numbers in recent months may have been affected by winter weather and seasonal illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19, the Red Cross explained in a press release.
Other factors that may have contributed to the decline include the increase in remote work, which could make it more difficult for people to easily access blood drives, changes in eligibility criteria, and changes to blood transfusion protocols in hospitals.
“One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products,” said Pampee Young, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of the Red Cross. “A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country — and its availability can be the difference between life and death. However, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate.”
Source: The American Red Cross, January 7, 2024.
