Mathew Fontanez is a final-year PharmD candidate at the St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
The need for blood donations is common knowledge in the medical field and general public alike. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the United States alone and are vital for a myriad of medical procedures and emergencies.1 This is nothing to speak of the equally critical need for platelets; with only 3% of age-eligible people donating blood yearly,1 the supply of available blood can be described as tenuous at best, even though blood transfusions are the most common medical procedure performed in hospitals.2 It should, then, not be shocking that in the last year blood donation dwindled, resulting in a decrease in the backlog of available stored blood. While normally there is a week’s supply, many blood centers now have enough for just 1 or 2 days.3
Dire need
A fear of exposure is a strong deterrent to attending blood drives. This in itself is a bit ironic, as critically ill patients—like those who receive mechanical ventilation, a common treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients—are among those who desperately need transfusion.4 An estimated 37,000 blood drives nationwide were canceled last year alone;5 in the New York City area, the average monthly blood dropped from 550 down to 280.3 Given that this shortage is nationwide, the usual methods of moving blood across different regions of the country is no longer an option. The shortage is hitting smaller communities and dense cities alike.
So dire is the need that FDA has announced it is relaxing its long-controversial restrictions on accepting donations from men who have sex with other men.6 The mandated waiting period for these men—including trans men who have sex with other men—was reduced from 1 year to 3 months from the last time they had sexual contact with another man.6 These restrictions are still criticized by many as a prejudiced holdover from the AIDS epidemic.6
Encourage blood donation
In terms of what we do going forward, it should be noted that most people aged 17 years and older can qualify to be a volunteer donor, even if they are on medications. Likewise, while a one-time donation is a tremendous help that will go directly toward a patient’s benefit, a person can donate every 56 days. With the need as high—and the consequences of inaction as dire—as right now, it is imperative to do your part and encourage those around you to give and give regularly.
For those interested in donating blood and the lifesaving aid it provides, the following websites provide information on finding blood drives, eligibility requirements, and ways to keep up-to-date regarding changes in donation guidelines during the pandemic.
References
1. American Red Cross. Importance of the blood supply. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html.
2. Pfunter A, Wier LM, Stocks C. Statistical brief #149: Most frequent procedures performed in U.S. hospitals, 2010. https://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb149.pdf.
3. Indrikovs A. The pandemic is pushing blood supplies to the brink. US News. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-11-11/covid-19-is-pushing-us-blood-supplies-to-the-brink.
4. Juffermans NP, et al. Transfusion in the mechanically ventilated patient. Intenstive Care Med. 2020;[Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-06303-z.
5. American Red Cross. Community organizations, businesses and schools needed to host blood drives. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2020/community-organizations-businesses-and-schools-needed-to-host-blood-drives.html.
6. Shaw ML. FDA's revised blood donation guidance for gay men still courts controversy. AJMC. https://www.ajmc.com/view/fdas-revised-blood-donation-guidance-for-gay-men-still-courts-controversy.