‘Quite critical’: Red Cross in need of blood donors on the High Desert, across the region

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- Blood donation rates for the Red Cross are at a low right now across the Pacific Northwest, just as summer increases the demand.

It's a familiar issue for those who try to meet the need.

While low blood quantities happen, they are currently being challenged with fewer people coming in to donate during the summer season, causing a problem as surgeries start picking up again at hospitals amid reduced COVID-19 restrictions.

 “The Pacific Northwest communities have been fantastic in keeping us at pace on where we need to be," Rebecca O’Rourke, an account manager for American Red Cross, said Tuesday. "But right now, we are hearing from our hospitals that we’re at less than a half-day supply of blood on the shelf, so it’s a quite critical situation."

O’Rourke said blood donations at the Red Cross tend to drop off during the summer time, as donors get busy with summertime activities -- which also means more crashes and injuries.

“The increase of demand goes up during when more people are out and about, having fun and taking more risks,” O’Rourke said.

This happens at the same time surgeries begin to pick up at area hospitals.

“We’re also seeing an increase in hospital needs, because many people put off surgeries -- and now when they come in to be treated their symptoms might be even more severe, requiring more transfusions,” O’Rourke said.

And while more surgeries are taking place, O’ Rourke said doctors are still holding off on performing elective surgeries due to the low blood donation rate.

The Red Cross said it has supported 75,000 more blood donation needs in the last three months than it projected.

It also expects to see a 10% increase in blood needs this summer holiday season.

Chuck Haynes, who was giving blood Tuesday at the Bend Blood Donor Center, has been giving blood since his college days.

Haynes said he donates blood as a way to serve and give back to the community, adding that he knows what kind of positive impacts it can cause.

Haynes said he’s felt safe donating blood during the pandemic, though not everyone feels the same way.

One public concern being heard by the Red Cross is receiving blood from people who have been vaccinated.

“Just like measles and mumps vaccines, the COVID vaccine is designed to address and respond to the illness of COVID and the vaccine itself is not found in the bloodstream, so it’s absolutely safe to receive blood from someone who’s received a covid-19 vaccine,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke added that even if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, blood can still be donated, as long as it’s been at least 14 days from having tested positive and no longer showing any symptoms.

One pint of blood can save three lives.

To schedule an appointment or learn more: https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/location/am-red-cross-fixed-site-bend.html