Blood banks across Washington state say they are in dire need of blood and plasma donations with the annual holiday slump dipping lower than normal.
“We are experiencing a critical, low supply of blood products, as is the entire nation,” said Candy Morrison, spokesperson for Cascade Regional Blood Services.
Vicki Finson, executive vice president of Bloodworks Northwest, agreed.
“There’s been extremely high need over the past couple months,” Finson said. “The backlog is getting higher, and some are sicker because of delay.”
The holiday season is normally slower because people are busy, Finson said, but appointments have slowed much more than they usually do. She believes there also is a fear of catching COVID-19.
Blood banks do not allow donations from those who self-quarantined in the past 14 days, have had symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days or tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
Staff and donors are expected to wear masks and practice social distancing, Finson said.
The decrease in donations has correlated with increased transfusions. Finson said they have seen the need for blood increase up to 20 percent.
“What we’re seeing is serious,” Finson said. “It’s not necessarily covid, but there are more critical surgeries, transplants and chemotherapy.”
If blood donations continue to drop, Finson said, blood banks will have to ration out the blood supply.
The state Department of Health does not track blood supply in the state but encourages Washingtonians to donate blood and plasma, spokesperson Kristen Maki said.
At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a call for blood donations, and Finson said the community answered.
“The community responded in a great way, and we’ve made it safe and convenient for them,” she said.
Morrison said those in need of transfusions are entirely reliant on donors.
“Blood cannot be manufactured. It must be supplied by the generosity of volunteer donors,” Morrison said.
Those who have had COVID-19 are asked to donate their COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19 patients in critical care.
In the middle of Washington’s third surge, Bloodworks Northwest sends out nine transfusions of convalescent plasma a day to give antibodies to COVID-19 patients. Finson said this is a high number to meet.
“It does help them in their recovery. This is our second-best option to a vaccine in fighting this,” she said.
Donation eligibility has been updated this year to be more inclusive . Changes include travel restrictions, exposure risks and medications for men who have sex with men, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, or mad cow disease, tattoos/piercings restrictions, and relaxed restrictions for travel to malarial endemic areas.
Bloodworks Northwest locations can be found at its website; same for Cascade Regional Blood Services.
