Blood supply during the pandemic

Can hospitals stay stocked?

In the upper 50s and low 60s.

The pandemic has taken a toll on the nations blood supply.

Now as states start to reopen the need for donations could multiply.

Kimt news three maleeha kamal has the story.xxx on the scene look live: i talked to the chief operating officer at lifeserve blood center who tells me that they are maintaining their supply but that could change in the near future.

Blood is a very precious resource and it's value is going up even higher.

High schools and colleges typically hold blood drives through the year..

But with school not in session?

Those large donations aren't happening.

Christine hayes with the lifeserve blood center says blood donations will play a vital role in fighting this pandemic.

" as we have progressed with the pandemic what we have noticed is that the blood supply is dependent on patient demand and as hospitals started to respond to covi?19 the first thing they did was eliminate elected surgeries.

So as our organization got that news we pivoted our blood supply."

As states begin to reopen and hospitals start performing more surgeries?

The need for blood will be even higher.

To fight the pandemic... blood centers will need convalescent plasma too.

The plasma from covi?19 survivors is currently be used as an investigative treatment for patients battling the virus.

Early data suggests one plasma donation has the potential to save four lives.

Look live: before donors could drop in to give blood but hayes says to practice social distancing they're now asking folks to schedule an appointment instead.

In rochester maleeha kamal kimt news three.

Blood donations have a shelf life of 42 days?

So the need is always present.

Lifeserve blood center supplies blood to 120 hopsitals in the midwest.

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