Severe Blood Shortage Hits 20-Year Low, Red Cross Reports

Winter weather exacerbates existing crisis, leading to limited blood distributions to hospitals and calls for urgent donations.

American Red Cross reports a critical blood shortage, the worst in 20 years, due to severe winter weather causing blood drive cancellations and lower donor turnout.
Red Cross, which supplies about 40% of the nation's blood donations, has had to limit distributions of some of the most transfused blood types to hospitals.
Blood Assurance, another blood supplier, asked 70 hospitals to briefly stop elective surgeries due to the blood shortage.
Factors contributing to the decline in blood donations include a drop in young adult donors since 2013 and the COVID-19 pandemic making it challenging to host blood drives.
Red Cross is urging people to donate, especially those with type O blood, and is offering incentives like a $20 e-gift card and entry into a Super Bowl trip raffle.