Blood donors still needed
The blood donor shortage is plaguing medical providers across the county, state and country.
According to nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant, the community blood supply has still not reached pre-pandemic levels, and there is still an ongoing need for donors.
“Compared to the beginning of the pandemic, patient needs are stronger than we expected,” said Charlie Wilcox, vice president at Vitalant, in a statement. “We're asking volunteer donors to make and keep an appointment to ensure Vitalant can help trauma victims, cancer patients and critical surgeries.”
The American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region said the upcoming flu season also could negatively affect blood supply.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expecting a severe flu season this year, and that could have a negative impact on the nation's already struggling blood supply,” said Lisa Landis, communications and marketing director in an email. “The American Red Cross continues to address an emergency blood and platelet shortage, and donors of all blood types — especially type O — are needed to make an appointment now to help ensure it doesn't get worse as we move into winter.”
Ongoing issue
“We're certainly not alone,” Kristen Lane of Vitalant said. “Organizations around the country are feeling the same pinch. But we have not seen the full return of the donors that were regular prior to the pandemic, and we had a shortage even before then.”Lane said that two types of blood — O blood and platelets — are particularly in short supply.“O blood types are very special because they have the power to save so many lives,” she said.O blood is the most widely transfused blood, as O-positive blood can be received by anyone with a positive blood type, and O-negative blood can be received by any blood type.“If there is a trauma, like the accident on (Interstate) 79 the other day, and you get first responders on the site, if somebody is bleeding out there is no time to type their blood,” Lane said. “The emergency personnel immediately reach for O blood, and that is the most used in an emergency situation.”Platelets, which are tiny cells that help blood clot, are a critical need. They must be transfused within about a week of donation, and about 50% of platelets are given to cancer patients undergoing treatment.Giving in a time of crisisAt the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber Healthy Living Expo on Monday at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, donors were able to schedule appointments or give walk-in donations.“I haven't donated in a long time, but I knew that there's a critical need, so for me it was worth the time to do this,” said donor Cassandra Smiley from Gibsonia. “The process has been so easy. I'll definitely do it again.”Smiley was one of six people who had donated by midday Monday at the drive in Cranberry. Donor recruitment representative Cyndi Funk said that an ideal blood drive would have about 25 people registered beforehand. The Cranberry drive had only three.“People aren't back at work yet — we've always had very robust drives at businesses, and people just aren't back at the office, or if they are they're back for a couple of days a week,” Funk said.Vitalant has been able to start going into schools again for blood drives, she said, and went to Hampton School District for a drive on Oct. 27, at which they were able to get 115 units of blood.School drives are essential, she said, because it is easier to get students to continue donating if they start when they are younger. Vitalant often does presentations in schools to teach students about the reasons to donate blood and how to prepare for donating.“We've pretty much missed two years (of school drives),” she said. “Normally, I would say, 'How many of you have donated before?' and at Hampton, there were only two kids who raised their hands. I knew this would be a lot of work. It's worth it, but it's a lot of work.”Upcoming blood drivesHeading into the winter months, Funk is even more concerned about the supply of blood.“Things haven't changed,” she said. “We can't catch up overnight, and we're heading into the holiday season, where there is always a decline in donations.”Funk said Vitalant is trying to encourage residents to donate to their community blood drives as they become more available. Donors interested in giving blood can always schedule appointments at Vitalant's donation centers in Butler and Cranberry.“During the coronavirus, we pushed them all into donor centers,” Funk said. “Now, we wish that people would start coming back into their community drives and their churches to have some sense of normality.”Lane recommended a few steps for potential donors to follow before they donate.“You have to be feeling healthy, because when you donate blood you do feel a little bit fatigued afterwards, so we want to make sure you don't have a cold or flu,” Lane said. “You should also have a good healthy meal at least two hours before you donate, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The more water you drink before your donation, the easier it is to give blood because it plumps up your veins.”Additionally, there are a number of upcoming blood drives in the Butler County area: one at Holy Sepulcher Roman Catholic Church on Nov. 28 and one at St. Joseph Church on Dec. 19. The Red Cross will also hold blood drives on Nov. 22 at Rose E Schneider Family YMCA, Nov. 24, at Cranberry Elks Lodge and Nov. 29 at DoubleTree by Hilton Marshall Township.
