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Red Cross Declares Emergency Blood Shortage Amid Record Decline in Donors

The organization, which supplies about 40% of the nation's blood, is grappling with a 20-year low in donations, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fullerton, CA - January 20: The American Red Cross brought a bloodmobile to Adams Rite Aerospace in Fullerton, CA on Thursday, January 20, 2022. The American Red Cross and hospitals are facing a critical shortage of donated blood. They expected to collect about 25 pints of blood during the one-day event. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Red Cross warns that they are grappling with 20 year record low of blood donors.
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Overview

  • The American Red Cross has declared an emergency blood shortage, citing a record decline in blood donors and a 20-year low in blood donations.
  • Hospitals are currently receiving blood products faster than donations are coming in, leading to a limitation in distributions of some of the most transfused blood types.
  • The shortage has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a reduction of 300,000 blood donors.
  • The Red Cross is partnering with the National Football League to offer incentives to donors, including a chance to win two tickets to Super Bowl LVIII.
  • The Red Cross urgently needs all types of blood donations, particularly Type O and platelets, which are required for cancer and trauma patients.