American Red Cross Reports Blood Shortage Due To Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

The coronavirus pandemic is causing a severe shortage on blood supply, and the American Red Cross said it’s in dire need of blood donations.

Nearly 3,000 blood drives have been canceled, and there’s a loss of nearly 90,000 donations of blood across the United States right now.

Britney Rochell with American Red Cross said even during these conditions, it's still safe to give blood.

"One of the safety things we have done and implemented during all of this, you have to check your temperature as you come in the door, not only of the donations, the donors, but the staff, so no one has a temperature coming in,” Rochell said.

The Red Cross said it is taking other precautions right now as well. Their staff is changing gloves between each donor, using sterile collection sets, wiping down everything between each person coming in and keeping donors 10 feet away from each other.

The blood is used for surgeries, people with cancer and car wrecks.

"There is no evidence that the blood is infected and that will be transmitted through transfusion,” Rochell said.

News 9 reported last week the Oklahoma Blood Institute is also seeing a serious blood shortage as well.

"Whether you're donating with us, or OBI, no matter who you're donating with, we are just urging people to get out and donate blood,” Rochell said.

If you’d like to donate blood with the American Red Cross, you can find the link of locations here.