The number of blood donors in the U.S. has hit a 20-year low, the American Red Cross warned Jan. 9.
In the last two decades, donor count has fallen 40%, prompting the organization to declare a blood shortage "emergency." The Red Cross noted that this year between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 alone, there was a 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations.
"One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products," Pampee Young, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of the Red Cross stated in the release.
According to the Red Cross, the nation's largest blood supplier, increases in remote work since the beginning of the pandemic may be preventing employer-sponsored blood drives, and certain pre-pandemic eligibility criteria changes, and changes in blood transfusion protocols at hospitals have all contributed to a decrease in donors.