Donate blood safely despite the national shortage

Lasky said the Red Cross is in contact with its member hospitals day in and day out, often hour by hour.

“Sometimes when we’re at that level, orders often have to be sorted by medical directors,” she said.

“Sometimes it’s a Friday night and I get several calls from several hospitals. One has a car accident. One has a patient in labor and delivery with obstetric hemorrhage. One is a cancer patient. And I’m watching my inventory go down, hoping I can support these patients all night, ”she explained.

“So it’s really about evaluating patient by patient and we all make the best decisions possible, just to help each other every night,” she added.

Other blood banks are also experiencing shortages.

“We currently have less than 4 days of supply of most blood groups, less than 2 days of supply of O blood group. This is at the lowest level since the start of the pandemic,” said Kevin Adler. , spokesperson for Vitalant, an organization that provides blood and blood products to more than 900 hospitals across the country.

Adler said the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many of their community blood drives, which serve as a lifeline for blood donation.

“Many businesses still have workers working from home. Sometimes they won’t allow anyone else to enter their facilities where we were doing blood drives, ”he told Healthline.

“When school is in session, we bring in about 25 percent of our blood supply from student donors. But schools do not organize blood drives, ”he added.

Lasky said the lack of blood drives also hurt the Red Cross inventory.

“During the pandemic, we had to change a lot of the way we operate,” she said. “We typically run mobile readers on high school and college campuses, sporting events, churches and other faith-based organizations, which have been closed.”

She said that even when things started to reopen, the Delta Variant wave kept donors at home.

“The cases are decreasing, but we still don’t see the donors. They don’t come as we need them, ”she said.

This month, the Red Cross is giving donors a $ 5 electronic card that they can redeem at a sandwich shop. They hope this will encourage donors to “help save a life over lunch”.

The chronic shortages that were occurring, even before the pandemic hit, prompted other blood banks to offer ongoing incentives to their frequent donors.

Vitalant offers a Donor Recognition Program where regular donors can earn points for gift cards for national retailers.

“It’s a great way to reward regular donors. It’s not a lot, but it’s a kind thank you, ”Adler said.

On its website, the New York Blood Center offers a Donor Advantage program for frequent donors of blood, platelets, and plasma. Donors can get points redeemable for gifts or gift cards.

Blood banks are asking donors to roll up their sleeves and come back and donate. They assure them that the appropriate COVID-19 protocols are followed.

“Masks are mandatory. We’re taking extra care to make sure everyone is as safe and healthy as possible during the entire process, ”Adler said.

Lasky said the Red Cross was following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Facilities keep beds at an appropriate distance, and appointments control the flow of donors and avoid overcrowding.

If you would like to donate, visit the blood bank website to view the eligibility rules. They may vary from state to state. You can also make an appointment online.

The Red Cross has a Blood Donation app. He can tell you the nearest donor site and allow you to make an appointment.

“Make an appointment. Then consider donating again because the need is really ongoing,” Lasky said.