Winter weather causing severe blood shortages

Biggest need now
Type O-negative

Severe shortages are nothing new for blood banks. Now, however, it’s getting critical, says Tom Mooney at Red Cross offices in Madison. 

“Do to all the winter related storms, we’ve had to cancel over 20 different blood drives, resulting in approximately 14,000 units of blood lost in the last few weeks,” Mooney said.

Just to keep up with demand, the Red Crosse has to collect about 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.  

The biggest need right now is O-negative. That’s the universal donor blood.

First responders can pack a couple of pints of that when showing up at any emergency when serious injuries are involved.