Hospitals in Michigan and across the nation are short on blood supplies.
“This has actually reached a national blood crisis level where we at times we’ve had less than one day’s inventory for blood on hand,” said Meghan Lehman, Regional Communications Director for the American Red Cross in Michigan.
The number of people donating blood has dropped because of COVID-19. About ten percent fewer people are showing up at blood drives. And, some blood drives have been canceled, leading to shortages throughout the pandemic. The omicron surge has made things worse.
Lehman says Red Cross blood drives follow all of the Centers for Disease (CDC) guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID.
“We have consistently worked to ensure those are in place and we continue to do that. We’re asking people to make appointments to ensure that we don’t have large crowds of people as well.”
You don't need to know your blood type. People who have either of the O blood types are especially in demand because their blood can be used in more patients.
You can go to the Red Cross website to make an appointment here. Type in your zip code and you can find the blood drives near your home.
You can also call 1-800 Red Cross for information.
You can also schedule an appointment in Michigan to give blood through the not-for-profit group Versiti here.
