‘Dangerously low’: Urgent need for blood donors

“The American Red Cross right now is facing a national blood crisis,” said Red Cross Regional Donor Services Executive Angel Montez during a recent media event. “It’s being deemed as the worst blood shortage in over a decade. I can tell all of you that I’ve been with this organization for 18 years and I haven’t seen it this bad. I have never seen us not be able to provide the products that hospitals need when they’re requesting it.”

Montez said that the Red Cross provides about 40% of the nation’s blood supply and has less than a one-day supply of critical blood types. A quarter of hospital blood needs are not being met because demand exceeds inventory.

“We are facing such a dangerous situation right now that we are making decisions, forcing hospitals in a way to make decisions about who’s going to receive transfusions and who’s going to need to wait for additional products to become available,” he said. “That’s due to the shortage in the blood supply that we have.”

He said part of the issue is that high school and college blood drives have dropped 62%. “Gen Z accounted for nearly a quarter of all blood donations in 2019,” Montez said, “and they made up just 10% of those donors in 2021.”

Dr. Rachel Cook, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) medical director of the inpatient bone marrow transplant unit and member of the OHSU blood supply task force, said the region was already dealing with a blood shortage before the pandemic slowed donations.

“We need a new batch of people who are going to step up and donate,” she said.

“In recent weeks, it’s become so dire that we no longer can get the quantity or type of blood required for every patient who needs it, and we’ve had to make some difficult decisions,” she said. “Because the blood supply is dangerously low, we can no longer give some patients the blood and platelets as we normally would, such as patients who have leukemia experiencing shortness of breath or bruising. We now have to prioritize our limited supply for those who need it most such as those who are actively bleeding, having chest pain, undergoing emergent surgeries or whose blood counts are so low that they’re in really dire straits.”

Here in the Gorge, Lisa Brown, a Red Cross Blood Drive coordinator for Underwood, said on Friday that one pint of donated blood can help save up to three lives, and donors may give one pint of blood every 56 days.

Blood donated in Washington and Oregon are sent to main hubs in Vancouver and Portland, respectively, Brown said, where they are processed, tested and stored before being sent out.

While the region as a whole is experiencing the effects of the blood shortage, because the Red Cross supplies blood nationwide, donations given locally may not stay in the area. Montez said that this is the first time the Red Cross has implemented a national appeal; Cook added that Oregon and Southwest Washington receive blood from other states, “so it’s a fluid situation, where blood is moving around, but with the Red Cross app, you can see where your blood actually ends up.”

Montez said omicron and other COVID variants continue to be a concern for donors, and he wants the public to know the American Red Cross takes safety very seriously: Staff are fully masked and spacing between donors and staff is observed; there is also a “stringent cleaning” process between each donation. Staff vaccination mandates are observed.

Donors are not screened for COVID as they come in, he said, but they are asked to communicate if they’ve received a vaccination and the type, and are asked to wait two weeks after being vaccinated before donating.

More than 60% of available appointments were still available as of the media event, and Montez encouraged those interested in signing up to visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment, rather than walking into an event.

“The Red Cross continues to face operational challenges, due to staff quarantine and turnover, but is trying to overcome obstacles to setting up a blood drive or to donate blood,” he said. “When donors go to website or call, there may not be an opening available today or tomorrow or two days from now. We schedule weeks in advance. Sign up with an appointment — heavy walk-in donors lead to some potential issues of being able to take them quickly. Sign up not just today and tomorrow but over next several weeks so we can stabilize our blood supply.”

Donors must be age 18 and over (or have parental consent), be in good health and feeling well, and weigh at least 110 pounds. There are also some medical and travel restrictions that may prohibit a donation.

Volunteers needed

In addition to blood donors, the Red Cross also needs the help of volunteers to support its blood collection. “Blood drive volunteers play an important role by greeting, registering, answering questions and providing information to blood donors throughout the donation process” said a press release. “Blood transportation specialists — another volunteer opportunity — provide a critical link between blood donors and blood recipients by delivering blood to hospitals in communities across the country.”

To volunteer to support Red Cross blood collections, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

Upcoming blood drives

Feb. 12 — Elks Lodge No. 1507, Hood River, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Feb. 28 — Underwood Community Center, Underwood, 12:30-5:30 p.m.

March 22 — Fairfield Inn & Suites, The Dalles, noon to 5:30 p.m.

March 23 — Oregon National Guard Armory, Hood River, noon to 5:30 p.m.

March 23 — Mt. Adams Elks, White Salmon, 1-6 p.m.