The supply of lifesaving blood donations is running low due to the coronavirus pandemic forcing Boston hospitals to appeal to the community to step up and help out.
“There’s an enormous number of patients that need blood products and it’s a really wide range of medical conditions that blood is used,” said Dr. Richard Kaufman, medical director of Brigham and Women’s Hospital Transfusion Service.
Brigham and Women’s, along with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, are asking the public for their donation to the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center, which provides the much-needed products to the hospitals.
Kaufman said at the start of the pandemic, blood was not needed as much due to the widespread cancellation of elective surgeries.
But now, as the state slowly begins to reopen and some medical procedures can start to resume, the supply is running low due to the lack of mobile blood drives.
“Every blood drive in the country was canceled and businesses were shut down and schools where shut down where blood drives happen,” said Kaufman.
Fixed donation sites, like those at hospitals, never closed though, and that is where people can still go to donate. Kaufman said it is safe, and there is very low risk of exposure to the coronavirus while donating blood.
“It really is a great thing to do for the community,” said Kaufman, stressing that the process of donating is safe, clean and only takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Blood donations can be used for trauma patients, heart surgery, cancer treatment and a number of other crucial medical treatments.
Kaufman said the United States only runs on a three-day supply of blood, and while red cells can be stored for six weeks, platelets only have a shelf life of a few days.
He said the next month will continue to present challenges in maintaining the blood supply, “There’s a lot of care that needs to be delivered at this point and I think everyone is going to do their best.”
To be eligible to donate blood, a donor must be in good health, be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds, according to criteria from the Red Cross.
Across the nation, the Red Cross is also experiencing a severe shortage and cited a reduction of at least 86,000 donations due to blood drives canceled by the pandemic.
One blood donation can save up to three lives, and each year nearly 7 million Americans donate, according to the Red Cross.
Eligible donors can make an appointment to give blood or platelets at the Kraft Center by calling 617-632-3206 or emailing blooddonor@partners.org. There is a particular need for type O- and O+ blood donors.
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June 06, 2020 at 07:23AM
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Boston hospitals need blood donations due to pandemic shortage - Boston Herald
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