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Severe blood shortage: Red Cross blood supply drops 35% · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Severe blood shortage. Red Cross blood supply drops thirty five percent.
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  Written by Judy Harvey. This article is being read by
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  an automated voice brought to you by Everlet. The American
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  Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage as requests
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  from hospitals exceed the available supply of blood, leading to
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  about a thirty five percent drawdown of blood products in
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  the past month, The agency said in a news release.
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  Individuals are urged to give as soon as possible. The
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  shortage is especially serious for platelets and types oh A
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  negative and B negative blood. The agency said high flu
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  activity at nearly every state may be sidelining donors, slowing
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  efforts to rebuild the national blood supply. The release said
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  high flu activity in almost every state may be sidelining donors.
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  The release said without immediate action, patients who count on transfusions,
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  including trauma victims, mothers and childbirth, and people with sickle
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  cell disease or cancer, face serious risk and quote. The
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  Red Cross said in the release. Donors can book an
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  appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Blood
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  Donor app visiting Red crossblood dot org, or calling one
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  eight hundred Red Cross one eight hundred seven three, three, two, seven,
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  six seven. All who come to give January twenty sixth
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  February twenty eighth will receive a twenty dollars E gift
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  card to a merchant of their choice. See redcrossbuod dot
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  org heart for details. Winter always puts pressure on the
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  blood supply, and this year, widespread flu and rough weather
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  are making it even tougher, said Paul Sullivan, Senior Vice
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  President of Red Cross Donor Services. If you're able, now's
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  a great time to make and keep blood donation appointments
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  during National Blood Donor Month. Every donation can be a
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  lifeline for a patient who isn't able to hold off
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  on critical care.