Red Cross facing blood shortage due to coronavirus

One sure way to help others in the coronavirus crisis is by giving blood.

The American Red Cross said it is facing a shortage of blood for patients in need because many people are worried about leaving their home and hundreds of blood drives across the country have been canceled.

Locally, Carter BloodCare has the same issue. Blood is being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in.

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“We normally collect blood on college campuses, businesses, high schools and because those are closing, we’re seeing a lot of blood drives get canceled. And that’s very concerning. We’ve seen 2,700 drives get canceled and that equates to 86,000 units of blood,” said Red Cross CEO and President Gail McGovern.

The Red Cross has put extra safety precautions in place for the drives that are still scheduled.

For more information about donations, visit www.redcross.org.

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