Red Cross warns of dangerously low blood donations levels

Red Cross warns of dangerously low blood donations levels

Updated: 10:14 AM EDT Oct 11, 2023

LOWS IN THE 60S. SANDRA, THANK YOU. WELL, A WARNING FROM THE RED CROSS THIS MORNING. BLOOD DONATIONS ARE RUNNING DANGEROUSLY LOW. THE SUPPLY HAS FALLEN ABOUT 25% SINCE AUGUST. OUT WITH BLOOD DISTRIBUTORS IS OUTPACING THE NUMBER OF BLOOD DONATIONS COMING IN. TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN HURRICANE IDALIA HIT THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA KNOCKING OUT POWER, IT STOPPED BLOOD DRIVES, LEADING TO A SHORTAGE OF ABOUT 30,000 DONATIONS EACH DAY. THE RED CROSS NEEDS TO COLLECT AROUND 12,000 DONATIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HOSPITALS HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP IS PAT MICHAELS. HE IS WITH ONE BLOOD. PAT, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE RED CROSS AND JUST THAT WARNING THEY’RE PUTTING OUT. BUT THE RED CROSS HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA WORKS WITH ONE BLOOD IN ORDER TO COLLECT DONATIONS FOR OUR AREA. CORRECT? THAT’S CORRECT. ONE BLOOD DOES KIND OF LIKE BLOOD IN THE PALM BEACHES AREA. IF YOU’VE SEEN THE BIG RED BUS, THAT’S ONE BLOOD. AND WE WORK WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR DISASTER RELIEF AS WELL. THEY DON’T COLLECT BLOOD. SO WE PARTNER WHENEVER WE HAVE HURRICANES OR OTHER DISASTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS THERE FOR US WHEN WE NEED IT. NEED. RIGHT NOW, THERE’S A DESPERATE NEED RIGHT NOW FOR BLOOD DONATIONS. YES, WE CAME OFF THE SUMMER WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE ON VACATION, HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ARE NOT IN SESSION, NOT UP TO FULL SPEED. BUT THAT’S NOW CHANGED A LOT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 18% OF THE BLOOD DONATION AT ONE BLOOD AND A LOT OF BLOOD CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO THAT’S COMING BACK UP. BUT I THINK IT HAS BEEN THAT DISRUPTION WITH ONE STORM AFTER ANOTHER WITH, LIKE YOU SAID, IDALIA, WHERE WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS FOR A WHILE AND THEN COME BACK UP. AND WE’RE ALWAYS CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS ON HAND BEFORE AND AFTER. AND THAT’S WHY WE MAKE THE APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC TO COME IN AND DONATE. AND PAT, WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IT’S NOT JUST IMPORTANT TO HAVE BLOOD DONATIONS WHEN THERE’S A DISASTER. I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S NEEDED YEAR ROUND. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE’VE HAD BIG MASS OPERATIONS LIKE THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING OR PARKLAND SCHOOL SHOOTING, THAT’S SOMETHING THAT REMINDS US THAT THERE’S A NEED FOR BLOOD DONATIONS. BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE TYPE OF INCIDENTS, AS IT WAS THE BLOOD DONORS DAYS BEFORE OR WHO GAVE REGULARLY AS THEY DO, THAT ACTUALLY SAVED THE LIVES OF THOSE PEOPLE. SO IT’S SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD DO ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT DOESN’T TAKE VERY LONG ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR SO. YOU’LL GET THE TREATS, YOU WILL GET SOME GIFTS LIKE THIS. ACTUALLY, WE HAVE THIS SHIRT WHICH IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER. IT’S A GLOW IN THE DARK T SHIRT BECAUSE WE’D LIKE TO THANK OUR DONORS FOR DOING THIS BECAUSE WE’RE REMINDING THEM WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS YOUR DONATION COULD BE GOING TO A HOSPITAL PATIENT AND COULD BE SAVING A LIFE. SO, PAT, RIGHT NOW WE’RE JUST LOOKING AT AT SOME AREAS HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND ON THE TREASURE COAST WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO DONATE BLOOD. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT YOU NEED FROM PEOPLE. CORRECT. JUST GO AND TRY TO DONATE BLOOD IF YOU CAN. THAT’S CORRECT. AND THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS GO TO. ONEBLOOD.ORG AND LOOK ON OUR PAGE. IT SAYS DONATE. NOW THERE’S A TAB, CLICK ON THAT. IT’LL SHOW YOU EVERY DONOR CENTER IN EVERY BIG BLOOD BUS LOCATION ON THE DATE THAT YOU ARE AVAILABLE. IF YOU DO THAT, THEN YOU CAN SIGN UP TO DONATE OR YOU CAN WALK IN TO THE DONOR CENTER OR THE BIG RED BUS. AND PAT, REALLY QUICK, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WHAT IS THE BLOOD TYPE THAT’S NEEDED THE MOST? O POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE THAT ACCOUNTS FOR MOST OF THE BLOOD DONATIONS. 38% OF PEOPLE HAVE O POSITIVE. 7% IS O NEGATIVE. AND THAT IS THAT UNIVERSAL BLOOD TYPE THAT WE TALK ABOUT DONOR CENTER OR A TRAUMA CENTERS AND HOSPITALS. WHENEVER THEY HAVE SOMEONE COME IN AND THEY DO NOT KNOW THE BLOOD TYPE, LET’S SAY IT’S AN EMERGENCY, THEY WILL GIVE THEM POSSIBLY O POSITIVE O NEGATIVE UNTIL THEY FIND OUT THEIR BLOOD TYPE. SO THAT’S WHY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT. AND PAT, CAN YOU SHOW YOUR T SHIRT ONCE AGAIN? WE HAD SOME VIDEO WHEN YOU SHOWED IT, SO WE MISSED IT EARLIER. ALL RIGHT. THAT’S THIS IS THE T SHIRT RIGHT NOW. IT IS ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR T SHIRTS DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER BECAUSE PEOPLE LOVE TO COLLECT THESE. AND THIS ONE HAPPENS TO GLOW IN THE DARK. SO IF YOU JUST COME IN, YOU’LL GET THIS T SHIRT FOR DONATING BLOOD VERY APPROPRIATE. ALL RIGHT. PAT MICHAELS WITH ONE BLOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE, WPBF.COM AND JUST SEARCH BL

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Red Cross warns of dangerously low blood donations levels

Updated: 10:14 AM EDT Oct 11, 2023

The American Red Cross is warning of low blood donation levels, as donor turnout has dropped. The Red Cross’ national blood supply has fallen by about 25% since early August. The Red Cross says Hurricane Idalia, which devastated parts of Florida’s west coast, further added to the low blood supply following blood drive cancellations and reduced blood and platelet donations in impacted areas.The Red Cross in South Florida works with OneBlood on blood donations. Pat Michaels with OneBlood spoke to WPBF 25 News about the need and how people can help. For more information, click here

The American Red Cross is warning of low blood donation levels, as donor turnout has dropped. The Red Cross’ national blood supply has fallen by about 25% since early August.

The Red Cross says Hurricane Idalia, which devastated parts of Florida’s west coast, further added to the low blood supply following blood drive cancellations and reduced blood and platelet donations in impacted areas.

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The Red Cross in South Florida works with OneBlood on blood donations. Pat Michaels with OneBlood spoke to WPBF 25 News about the need and how people can help.

For more information, click here