As the fight to end the coronavirus pandemic seems to be approaching the finish line, the need for blood donations has increased, in some cases to desperate levels. Reporter Gary Daigneault says the shortage is still critical…
Local blood banks are scrambling to restock their shelves. LifeStream now has less than one day’s inventory left. The reason, they say, is a combination of the high demand for blood at hospitals now resuming surgeries that had been on hold and fewer volunteers giving blood as people become busy with summer activities. Typically, LifeStream has a three-to-five-day inventory of all blood types. “Colleges, churches and schools are also not open, and that’s about 20% of the blood we collect,” they said. Some hospitals must slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, blood, which is perishable, cannot be stockpiled so it must constantly be replenished. “When seconds count in emergency trauma situations, it’s the blood already on the shelves that can make the difference in lifesaving care.” said Dr. Ross Herron of the Red Cross. The blood bank tries to have at least a four-day supply of all types of blood, but is nowhere near that, they said. LifeStream said blood banks are educating those who may falsely believe that having the COVID-19 vaccine affects whether they can give blood. “People can still donate blood even after being vaccinated, even on the day of being vaccinated,” they said.
