Why did the American Red Cross declare nationwide emergency? Non-profit has reportedly faced a loss of 300,000 blood donors since COVID-19 pandemic

January is National Blood Donor Month, and in a rather concerning revelation, the American Red Cross declared a nationwide emergency blood shortage on Sunday, the seventh day of the month. A statement released by the organization revealed that the number of blood donors in the United States had hit its all-time low for the past 20 years.

Red Cross Medical Director Dr. Eric Gehrie told CBS News that the organization lost 300,000 donors since the pandemic. The organization's concerning statement encouraged people to kick off 2024 by donating blood by partnering up with the NFL and automatically entering all donors into a raffle that gives them the chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

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American Red Cross faces a 40% donor dip over the last 20 years

In a statement released on January 7, the American Red Cross revealed that it was facing an emergency blood shortage. The number of people donating blood was the lowest ever in 20 years. The non-profit organization stated that there was a big need for more blood and platelet donations to deal with the shortage and to ensure that "lifesaving medical procedures proceed without delay."

Blood donors have fallen by almost 40% in the past 20 years, the organization said. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, the organization experienced a "7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations". The winter, respiratory illness, and COVID-19 will worsen the stressful situation.

The announcement named many factors that contributed to such a drastic downfall, and the first thing mentioned was the evolution and changes in how people live, learn, and work. The pandemic reportedly accelerated these drastic communal changes.

The statement pointed out that the prevalence of remote working has made it challenging for people to meet up at "convenient blood drives." Changes in blood transfusion protocol in hospitals over a decade ago have also made it difficult to donate blood, the organization said in its announcement.

Another big thing was the impact of the eligibility changes made even before the pandemic started. The changes raised the minimum hemoglobin thresholds, increasing deferrals among young donors aged 16-18. The statement read:

"These changes illustrate the convergence of several factors that has made it challenging to keep and grow a motivated donor base to meet patient needs over the past two decades."

Red Cross Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pampee Young was quoted in the statement as saying:

"A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country — and its availability can be the difference between life and death, however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate."

Red Cross Medical Director Dr. Eric Gehrie told CBS News that the Red Cross had lost 300,000 blood donors since the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained to the outlet that this situation may force doctors to choose which person gets the transfusion and which person doesn't and may lead to delays in surgeries. He explained the situation to the outlet:

"It means that hospitals will order a certain number of units of blood, and those orders are not being filled fully."

He added:

"So hospital blood banks are low on blood."

In an initiative to encourage people to donate blood, the Red Cross has joined hands with the NFL. Every person who donates blood or platelets in January 2024 will be entered into a competition where one lucky individual will get the opportunity to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.