Blood donations have dropped to critical levels in Louisiana. A spokesperson for The Blood Center, Paul Adams, said a combination of things has led to a lull in supply, the holidays, carnival season, and the cold weather.
“Tuesday’s icy conditions pretty much forced everybody to stay inside. Because of that they didn’t come out and donate and when you don’t collect blood for a day, it severely affects our blood supply,” said Adams.
Preferrable, Adams said they like to have a supply of 3 to 5 days on hand but at the moment it’s down to one day.
“We’re extending our hours. We’re adding on blood drives as much as we can. We’ve been lucky in that there’s been several hospitals that have reached out to us. Hospitals know the need for blood better than anybody,” said Adams.
Donating blood has its perks; Adams said you’ll learn your blood type and they can check your cholesterol and iron levels.
“The whole process takes less than an hour of your time, but once you do it you will literally save three lives,” said Adams.
Since the pandemic. Ochsner Health has seen a 40% drop in blood donations, with more people working from home and blood drives at schools and the workplace not as routine as they were in the past.
To find a blood drive near you in southeast Louisiana visit TheBloodCenter.org or reach out to your local hospital to find their local supplier to donate.
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