LANSING, MI — The Red Cross has declared its first-ever national blood crisis in the U.S. The blood collection organization on Tuesday warned members of the public of the consequences of its worst blood shortage in more than a decade.
The American Red Cross said it had “less than a one-day supply of critical blood types” and has had to limit distributions to hospitals, which means some hospital’s are having their blood needs met currently.
The COVID-19 pandemic is being blamed for a 10% overall decline in the number of people donating blood. In addition, the emergence of the Omicron variant has led to ongoing blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations, according to Red Cross officials.
The Red Cross is urging the public to make an appointment to donate blood. Call 1-800-Red Cross to schedule a donation or visit www.redcrossblood.org.
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