Red Cross declares crisis over blood shortage in US for second time in its history
www.bbc.com
Fewer donations and higher demand has seen a supply shortage worsen, the American Red Cross tells the BBC.

A blood supply shortage in the US has reached a “crisis” level, according to the American Red Cross, which says it is the second time in its 150-year history that levels have been this low.

Factors including wildfires and extreme heat have combined to create the current situation, Dr Courtney Lawrence, who works with the American Red Cross, told the BBC.

Supply levels dropped by a quarter just last month. The crisis has struck during summer, when the amount of blood needed by hospitals typically increases.

That is because of an increased number of car accidents and more people spending time outdoors, resulting in more injuries that require blood transfusions, Lawrence said.

  • blitzen@lemmy.ca
    201·
    4 days ago

    Donating has always been on my to-do list, but I just never made the time. I think I did it once 25 years ago in high school.

    I finally made the time about a month ago, and they made it so easy I told them to keep a standing appointment every two months (the maximum.) Found out I’m O-, so I feel like I’m doing some real good.

    • Taldan@lemmy.world
      14·
      4 days ago

      If you’re O- you’re going to be begged to donate for the rest of your life now

      An O- friend of mine donated blood ~10 years ago before learning he can get paid for plasma donations. 10 years of regular plasma donations (and no blood donations), he still gets monthly calls asking him to donate blood

      Gotta make ends meet though. Free cookies and juice don’t pay rent

      • blitzen@lemmy.ca
        6·
        4 days ago

        I thought that O- has undesirable plasma.

        Oh well, for me at least, I feel good about the donation for donation’s sake.

        • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
          3·
          3 days ago

          Morally it’s better for O-s to donate whole blood than plasma. Plasma donation is great but it’s usually for developing medicines and prefers AB+, while whole blood is more likely to go to people in immediate need of blood and prefers O-.

          I’ve done both and personally prefer giving blood to plasma. Plasma takes so much longer, has worse phlebotomists (they damaged one of my veins) and is just a generally more depressing environment

          That said, if it’s all the same, give where the shortage is

        • HelloDingo@slrpnk.net
          3·
          3 days ago

          If he’s getting paid for the plasma then it’s being used for research, not for donations, so they’ll still take it either way.

          • forkDestroyer@infosec.pubEnglish
            2·
            3 days ago

            That’s nothing to sneeze at.

            How much does it impact your health if you do the maximum donation?

            Can you still lift weights and get swole between donations or are you basically not able to exert yourself?

            • ContriteErudite@lemmy.world
              2·
              3 days ago

              I’m not sure about plasma because I’m not a donor; I only know how much you can make in this area from coworkers who donate twice a week.

              Back when I used to donate platelets, I definitely noticed that I wasn’t able to work out as hard and became fatigued more easily for a day or two afterward. I would usually eat a lot of beans and nuts, drink lots of water, and take a multi-vitamin right after my donation to help replenish my lost platelets. It’s likely something similar for blood plasma: lots of water, protein, iron/zinc/copper.