Country sees 'the worst shortage' of blood, Houstonians encouraged to donate

Blood supply is very low across the country, and the American Association of Blood Banks and the Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism are pointing to that need.

“This is the worst shortage I’ve experienced since I’ve been in this line of work,” Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the American Association of Blood Banks, said according to USA Today.

Because of the low supply, which also affects the Houston area, Mayor Sylvester Turner is asking Houston residents to step up and donate blood to help when the need arises. In a June 30 tweet, Turner announced a blood drive taking place that day at city hall.

“This morning, we are hosting a blood drive in partnership with @HoustonHealth and @commitforlife at city hall. It is important for our region to have a strong supply as we continue to go through the summer months and to be ready for any emergency situations that may arise,” Turner wrote in the tweet.

KHOU 11 reports that the pandemic has adversely affected the city’s blood supply, and that’s a cause for concern in the summer.  

"Summer is upon us and this is a time for family gathering and this is a time for us to engage in summertime activities — and that's good," Houston Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse said. "It's also a time, unfortunately, when things go wrong, people go into accidents. We've had some serious car accidents, we've had shootings happen that [put] people in the hospital and they need blood, and they desperately need blood."

Currently, the American Association of Blood Banks’ Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism said that many of the country’s blood banks have about half a day worth of blood.  Cohn said that these blood banks typically consider themselves prepared when they have a supply of three days minimum. These supplies can be used in surgeries, traumatic incidents and to treat individuals who have chronic illnesses, according to USA Today.

During the June 30 blood drive, Turner joined Persse, and representatives of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to discuss how the blood shortage could affect the city.

The problem is one of supply and demand, and although there have been record numbers of people donating to Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, it may still not be enough coming into the hurricane season.

"Blood donations are critically needed now and throughout the summer to ensure the availability of blood for all blood types for patients that find themselves in need," Turner said.