Red Cross announces nationwide blood shortage. Here’s how can you donate

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The national blood supply has fallen to critically low levels — potentially threatening the medical care of patients with an emergency need for blood or those with critical conditions who depend on lifesaving blood transfusions, the American Red Cross recently announced.

The blood supply nationwide has dropped nearly 25% since early August, caused by back-to-back months of climate-driven disasters and the summer travel season.

Hurricane Idalia’s impact in the southeastern U.S. caused more than 700 units of blood and platelets to go uncollected. Donor turnout in August dropped due to a busy travel season and back-to-school activities —contributing to a 30,000-donation shortfall in August alone, according to the Red Cross.

“For so many patients living with urgent medical care needs, crises don’t stop with natural disasters,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the American Red Cross. “In fact, in some instances the stress of a disaster can lead to a medical crisis for some individuals battling sickle cell disease. The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, an often-invisible emergency that the rest of the world doesn’t see behind closed hospital doors. Now, that urgency has only heightened.”

Blood product distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of blood donations.

Approximately 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country rely on the Red Cross to collect 12,5000 blood donations each day to meet the needs of their patients.

So who should donate?

Donors of all blood types are urgently needed — though there is an emergency need for platelet donors and type O blood donors.

To make an appointment to give blood or platelets, donors can use the Red Cross Blood App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

You can donate blood every 56 days, or up to six times a year. You must be in good health and feeling well, be 16 years old or older in most states, and weigh at least 110 pounds. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted eligibility restrictions for individuals who lived in Europe during certain periods of time, as well as LGBTQIA+ individuals. To view current eligibility guidelines to donate blood in New York, visit New York Blood Center’s website at nybc.org or call 800-688-0900.

To make an appointment at a blood drive near you, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybc.org. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting “NYBC” to 20222 to give $25.