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Red Cross declares nationwide emergency due to critically low blood supply

www.cbsnews.com Red Cross declares nationwide emergency due to critically low blood supply

Blood donors are needed now more than ever as the Red Cross is facing an emergency shortage.

Red Cross declares nationwide emergency due to critically low blood supply

The American Red Cross has declared an emergency blood shortage, saying patients are at risk of not getting lifesaving transfusions.

Donors are needed now more than ever as the Red Cross faces a national emergency shortage, with the number of donors at a 20-year low. Medical director Dr. Eric Gehrie says the Red Cross has experienced a loss of 300,000 donors since the COVID-19 pandemic alone.

"It means that hospitals will order a certain number of units of blood, and those orders are not being filled fully," he said. "So hospital blood banks are low on blood."

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