Blood Bank of Delmarva announces blood emergency

Blood Bank of Delmarva announced a blood emergency, with a 3.7-day overall blood supply.

That includes just a 0.7-day supply for type O negative blood and 2.3 days for O positive blood. Ideally, the Blood Bank of Delmarva would have a 7-day supply of all blood types daily.

It is important for the Blood Bank of Delmarva to bolster reserves now because it is still scrambling to make up for the deficit caused by most college and high school blood drives being wiped out by the pandemic. That usually accounts for 25 percent of the blood collected daily, and there are few signs indicating that will change anytime soon.

“The current numbers are indicative of how tough it’s been locally as well as nationally,” said Patty Killeen, senior executive director of the Blood Bank of Delmarva. “Summer makes it even harder to collect blood as people are vacationing or traveling, so we are asking people to give blood now as the school year approaches.”

The Blood Bank of Delmarva has implemented new strategies to recruit young donors, including the successful Blood for a Brew Summer Tour drives, sponsored by TD Bank and held in partnership with local breweries including Revelation, Big Oyster, Dogfish Head and Crooked Hammock.

The temporary lease entered into with Tanger Outlets has been another way to increase the number of young donors through the strategy of meeting them where they are, said Marie Forrestal, director of donor recruitment. This pop-up donor center began operations in May and will stay through October.

Donors allow the blood bank to keep 19 hospitals in Delmarva stocked with the blood products they need to perform surgeries and treatments, and to help patients in times of emergencies and traumas. The blood bank relies on the kindness of donors to meet its mission, as blood cannot be manufactured outside the human body. The problem is that while 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood – already a fraction of the general population – just 3 percent of that subgroup actually roll up their sleeves to donate.

Donating blood is safe, and blood banks have taken extra precautions to help prevent person-to-person spread of COVID-19. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. Additional information on donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available at delmarvablood.org.

Under normal circumstances, it usually only takes one hour to give whole blood, but given the national hiring shortage, Blood Bank of Delmarva staff ask for patience as wait times may be extended.

Donors can schedule appointments by calling 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or going to delmarvablood.org.