Source: Ethan Miller / Getty
The American Red Cross is facing a critical blood shortage, with an “emergency need” for platelet donors and Type O blood donations, as revealed by the organization this week. This dire situation has arisen due to consecutive months of “climate-driven disasters” and a significant 25% drop in donations in August, which typically supplies around 40% of the nation’s blood.
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The threat of Hurricane Lee further exacerbates the problem, potentially hindering blood collection efforts in adverse weather conditions. The impact of Hurricane Idalia in August resulted in over 700 units of blood and platelets going uncollected, as reported by the Red Cross.
Dr. Pampee Young, the chief medical officer for the American Red Cross, emphasized that crises persist for many patients with urgent medical needs, even beyond natural disasters. She stated that the stress of a disaster can escalate into a medical crisis for individuals battling sickle cell disease, highlighting the constant and often hidden demand for blood. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. requires blood, an emergency that often goes unnoticed by the world, occurring behind the closed doors of hospitals. The urgency of this need has only intensified.
The American Red Cross attributes the significant drop in donations last month to a combination of record-high travel activity and back-to-school commitments. They are urgently appealing to donors of all blood types to schedule appointments for blood or platelet donations, emphasizing that the distribution of blood products to hospitals currently surpasses the rate of blood donations.
source: The DMV Daily
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