Lexington Fire Department hosting blood drive amid ‘massive’ national supply shortage
The Lexington Fire Department is hosting a blood drive to celebrate its 150th birthday, hoping to help resolve major blood shortages partially caused by the effects of COVID-19.
The blood drive will be hosted by the fire department and the American Red Cross on Sept. 28 with a goal of 150 donations. Fire department officials said all blood types were needed, especially Type O. The Red Cross said it has seen red cell demand from hospitals and trauma centers increase 10 percent in 2021.
“Currently, there is a massive national blood shortage where blood supplies cannot keep pace with hospital demand as the number of violent crimes, organ transplants, and trauma intakes trend upward following 16 months of COVID-19 restrictions,” Battalion Chief Jordan Saas said in a release.
Patients who previously deferred care at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic are now getting elective surgeries and other less critical treatments. Some patients who deferred care are now suffering from more advanced disease, according to the Red Cross. Those trends are partially driving the demand for more blood.
“This is causing the need for blood to go up very quickly,” the Red Cross said earlier this month. “Right now, not enough people are donating in order to meet this need.”
Mandy Brajuha, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Blood Center, said COVID added to the blood shortage, making blood drives much more difficult to host.
“We were unable this past year to hold virtually any high school drives, very few college drives and limited businesses (due to many being remote or COVID restrictions),” Brajuha said. “We are optimistic that those drives are coming back this fall and have seen an uptick in businesses returning and reaching out to hold blood drives.”
Brajuha said blood supply in Kentucky has improved, but it’s not “normal” yet.
“Until we are able to hold mobile blood drives at the level we were (previously), I don’t believe we will be able to keep up with the demand from the hospitals we serve, which is at pre-pandemic levels or higher,” she said.
Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer of the American Association of Blood Banks, told ABC in June the current blood shortage situation was “the most concerning I have seen in my career.”
The Lexington blood drive will be at the International Association of Firefighters building at 2205 Thunderstick Drive. It will run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Anyone interested in giving blood can sign up by going to redcrossblood.org/give and typing in the sponsor code “LEXFIRE.” From there, participants can select the fire department’s blood drive and pick a time to schedule an appointment.
The fire department is encouraging potential donors to do a “Power Red donation,” in which donors give more red blood cells than they would in a typical donation. The extra red blood cells are “exactly what most patients need,” Saas said.
The fire department is offering free commemorative coins for the first 150 donors, according to a release.
The Red Cross has also updated its COVID-19 safety guidelines at blood drives. People attending who are fully vaccinated don’t have to wear a face mask.
This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 8:22 AM.