The University of Michigan Health System and the Red Crossboth say they are facing a shortage of blood for use in transfusions, due to ongoing concerns about the coronavirus.
More than 160 blood drives across Michigan have been canceled in recent weeks, due to poor attendance and health concerns about COVID-19.
Dr. Robertson Davenport, the director of transfusion medicine at Michigan Medicine, recently issued a statement, calling the current situation a “blood crisis.”
He warns that the U of M hospital system currently only has a one-day supply of blood ready for use.
Davenport is urging people to give blood if possible, adding “blood donation sites are safe,” blood centers follow strict hygiene protocols, and donors and staff are both screened first to make sure they are healthy.
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— Taylor Pinson is a writer/reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him studio@wemu.org
