The nation's blood supply is critically low as COVID-19 put a strain on the country's blood centers, and the weather made that situation even worse.
“It’s a bad time,” says Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).
The AABB tries to keep blood safe by coordinating donations and transfusions.
“I’m used to hearing about emergency calls for blood and they’re always answered. This is the first time in my memory that there is a call for blood and every center around the country is trying to scramble to fill the needs. In Texas, they’re not entirely able... because they’re at a low level at their own centers,” said Cohn, who also says there's a need everywhere.
States are attempting to share supply but that's not easy.
“The strain from COVID put together with the weather challenges have put a dramatic strain" on the supply, said Cohn.
So what happens if there's not enough blood? Cohn says, “If you need it very badly, I don’t want to sound dramatic, but you could die.”
Patients who need blood on a regular basis could be managed, but it's the trauma and surgery patients who would be placed in a life-or-death situation. Most of the time, our blood supply levels hold up well, Cohn said.
"I’ll talk about the pre-COVID days where we often had a five to seven day supply of all we need on the shelf. Saying that doesn’t mean we’re stable or flush,” Cohn said. “We always need people to come in and donate.”
Platelets have a shelf life of five to seven days. They need to be constantly replenished.
And as for the blood itself, they always need O negative.
“If there’s an emergency and a patient needs blood before we can do testing to make sure that it’s safe, we can usually, in 99% of cases, give group O negative blood and it will be safe for those patients," Cohn said.
So, what can you do? Give blood. Cohn said we've been in tough spots before, and we've always resolved it. So, she says, she has faith, but everyone needs to help to bring the supply back up.
Utoaji wa damu nchini humo umepungua sana, kwani COVID-19 imeweka shinikizo kwenye vituo vya damu nchini, na hali ya hewa imefanya hali hiyo kuwa mbaya zaidi. "Hii ni wakati mbaya", asema Dakt. Claudia Cohn, ofisa mkuu wa kitiba wa Shirika la Marekani la Benki za Damu (AABB). AABB inajaribu kuweka damu salama kwa kuratibu michango na utiaji damu mishipani. "Nimezoea kusikia juu ya wito wa dharura wa damu na wao daima kujibu. "Hii ni mara ya kwanza katika kumbukumbu yangu kwamba kuna wito kwa damu na kila kituo kote nchini kinajaribu kukimbilia kujaza mahitaji.""" Katika Texas, wao si uwezo kabisa... kwa sababu wao ni katika ngazi ya chini katika vituo vyao wenyewe, "alisema Cohn, ambaye pia anasema kuna haja kila mahali. Nchi zinajaribu kushiriki ugavi lakini hiyo si rahisi. "Mzigo kutoka kwa COVID pamoja na changamoto za hali ya hewa umeweka mzigo mkubwa" kwenye usambazaji, alisema Cohn. Ni nini kinachotokea ikiwa hakuna damu ya kutosha? "Cohn anasema, ""Ikiwa unahitaji sana, sitaki kuonekana kuwa mbaya, lakini unaweza kufa."" Wagonjwa wanaohitaji damu mara kwa mara wanaweza kusimamiwa, lakini ni wagonjwa wa majeraha na upasuaji ambao wangewekwa katika hali ya maisha au kifo." Mara nyingi, viwango vyetu vya ugavi wa damu huendelea vizuri, Cohn akasema. "Nitazungumza juu ya siku za kabla ya COVID ambapo mara nyingi tulikuwa na usambazaji wa siku tano hadi saba wa kila kitu tunachohitaji kwenye rafu. """ Kusema kwamba haina maana sisi ni imara au flush, "Cohn alisema. "Sikuzote tunahitaji watu kuja na kutoa damu". "Trombofili zina muda wa kuhifadhiwa wa siku tano hadi saba. Wanahitaji kujazwa mara kwa mara. Kwa upande wa damu, kila mtu anahitaji O-negative. "Ikiwa kuna dharura na mgonjwa anahitaji damu kabla hatuwezi kufanya upimaji ili kuhakikisha kuwa ni salama, kwa kawaida tunaweza, katika kesi 99%, kutoa damu ya kikundi cha O hasi na itakuwa salama kwa wagonjwa hao, ""Cohn alisema." Kwa hiyo, unaweza kufanya nini? Toa damu. Cohn alisema tumekuwa katika maeneo magumu kabla, na sisi daima kutatuliwa ni. "Anasema, ""Nina imani, lakini kila mtu anahitaji kusaidia kurudisha usambazaji."""