The recent wildfires in Los Angeles County, combined with a severe winter weather and frigid temperatures across much of the U.S., have caused thousands of blood donations to go uncollected in recent weeks, the American Red Cross said Jan. 24.
“People in a snowstorm and an ice storm can’t get to our blood drives. People, certainly that are affected by wildfire, can’t get to our blood drives. We’ve had to cancel those, and we are seeing the effects of that right now,” Rebecca Marshall, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, told NBC affiliate KGW8.
The Red Cross, which supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood, has canceled 500 blood drives this month. In total, 12,000 units of blood have gone uncollected, nearing the 12,500 units the Red Cross distributes nationwide every day.
In an alert on its website, the Red Cross said there is a critical need for platelets, as well as an emergency shortage for types O-negative and B-negative blood. The organization is encouraging individuals of all blood types to donate, provided it is safe for them to travel.
A spokesperson for the American Hospital Association told Becker’s Jan. 24 that it has not received reports about blood shortages or care disruptions at member hospitals.
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