Platelet shortage prompts regional blood drive

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood and platelet shortage and has donation events for several places around the region.

The blood drive locations are:

Dixon: 7:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 at Do It Best Corp., 816 W. Progress Drive and 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at Dixon Home of Hope, 1637 Plock Road.

Morrison: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 13, Morrison Institute of Technology, 701 Portland.

Prophetstown: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD #3, 79 Grove St.

Sterling: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Sterling Bethel Reformed Church, 230 E. 23rd Street.

Clinton, Iowa: 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 12, Community Reformed Church, 747 N 12th Street.

The Red Cross must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month for the blood supply to recover and meet hospital and patient needs. Donors of all blood types – especially Type O – and platelet donors are urged to make an appointment to give now and in the weeks ahead to overcome this current shortage.

As cases spiked in August, blood donor participation decreased about 10%, but blood product distributions to hospitals have remained strong, significantly outpacing blood donations in recent weeks.

The national Red Cross blood inventory is the lowest it’s been at this time of year since 2015.

“Fall is typically a time when the blood supply rebounds as donors are more available to give than during the busy summer months, but this year has presented a unique and serious challenge,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the Red Cross. “While it’s clear the pandemic continues to weigh heavily on our minds, the Red Cross asks the public to remember donating blood and platelets is essential to the many patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions every day.”