Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood donations have become critically low nationwide. There has been a decrease in the amount of blood drives, as well as the amount of people who have been able to donate because of the pandemic.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center states that there is an “URGENT/CRITICAL NEED for O Negative, O Positive, and B Negative red blood cell donations and platelets from all blood types.”

O Negative red cells is the first blood type that is used when it comes to emergency care. Hospitals across the nation are unable to share since the blood levels are extremely depleted all over the country. 

Blood has a limited shelf life, and there are no substitutions. This means that the supply relies on donors from all over the country.

If you are eligible to donate blood, you can find information on how to do it here.