Americans capable, willing, and able to donate blood are encouraged to do so during an era of social distancing.
"Social distancing doesn't have to mean social disengagement," U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said during the Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Thursday, warning of blood shortages.
American Red Cross Senior Vice President Paul Sullivan told Cheddar he's concerned about an already low blood supply in the U.S., compounded by a recent wave of coronavirus-inspired blood drive cancellations, numbering more than 5,000 drives resulting in some 170,000 fewer donations.
Sullivan said he still plans to continue donating.
However, the Red Cross is changing its normal precautions in response to coronavirus concerns. Sullivan told Cheddar those new precautions include temperature checks before entering the donation space and changing gloves between each collection.
Surgeon General Adams also explained beds are six feet apart and staff members are disinfecting surfaces more often.
"So give blood today. You'll feel good about it, and you'll be helping your country and community during this crisis. And you might even save a life," he said.
Red blood cells only have a shelf life of 42 days and platelets just 5 days, so blood donations must continue in order to continue vital medical procedures to keep people alive.
"As this progresses, the way it will challenge our healthcare system … it will be just that — it will be very challenging," Sullivan warned. "No one gets a transfusion if they don't need it. We don't want to put the medical community in a situation where they have to pick who gets blood and who doesn't."
Find a drive to donate.
** This story was updated to reflect the shelf life of red blood cells and the updated number of blood drive cancellations. **
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, SpaceX sends a rocket to the moon too soon, and George Jetson is about to be born. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Thursday, January 27, 2022.
Heirs of Pablo Picasso, the famed 20th-century Spanish artist, are vaulting into 21st-century commerce by selling 1,010 digital art pieces of one of his ceramic works that has never before been seen publicly.
A conservation group is turning over a historic redwood grove on the Northern California coast to descendants of the original Native American inhabitants.
Pfizer is looking for volunteers to test its new omicron vaccine, the first gun insurance requirement in the U.S., and the James Webb telescope arrives at its new home. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
Arguably the biggest challenge to the rise of electric vehicles is their outsized demand for rare earth minerals. Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo does a deep dive into the struggle over securing supply chains for a green tech future.
New research suggests giving extra cash to low-income mothers can change their infants’ brain development.
The administrators of the SAT say the exam will move from paper and pencil to a digital format.
Wall Street's wild swings, Ford can't keep up, and it's Neil Young versus Joe Rogan over COVID vaccine infor. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
A woman has taken command of the U.S.S. Constitution for the first time in its 224-year history. Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell on Friday became the 77th commanding officer of the warship that earned the nickname Old Ironsides.
Federal authorities say the last of the escaped monkeys from a Pennsylvania highway crash of a truck towing a trailer load of the animals has been accounted for.
