Red Cross encourages blood donations during shortage

January 12, 2022 2:18 PM

Andre Louque,

Posted: January 12, 2022 2:18 PM

Updated: January 12, 2022 2:26 PM

by Andre Louque

Blood shortages continue to affect hospitals nationwide. In order to increase the donation of blood, the Red Cross provided the following facts:

5 million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year.
43,000 pints is the amount of donated blood needed each day in the U.S. and Canada.
Someone needs blood every two seconds.
Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood – less than 10 percent do annually.
About one in seven people entering a hospital need blood.
One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate about a pint of blood – the most common form of donation – every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.
94 percent of blood donors are registered voters.
Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types, especially type O.
Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery may require platelet transfusions to survive.

Where to donate