The American Red Cross said this week that healthy donors are urgently needed to bolster the organization’s blood supply to prepare for a possible severe flu season.
The organization is offering incentives to would-be donors if they make an appointment to give blood between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15.
Those incentives include $10 e-gift cards or a Red Cross knitted beanie, depending on the dates of donation.
The Red Cross said that it is especially important to bolster the blood supply now because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted there will be a serious spread of the flu virus this year.
Combined with other seasonal illnesses, that could put strain on the blood supply.
The Red Cross said that it’s much harder to collect the blood that hospital patients will need this winter due to busy holiday schedules and an increase in seasonal illnesses, which decrease the supply of healthy donors.
Donors with type O blood and those giving platelets are especially encouraged to give this winter, according to the Red Cross.
Type O negative blood is the most common type of blood used for transfusions when the blood type is unknown.
Type O positive is the given to patients more than any blood type and is considered the “most needed” blood type, according to the Red Cross.
Platelets are in constant demand because they only last for five days. Potential donors must be in good health and feeling well, be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.
There is no waiting period to donate blood or platelets after receiving most vaccines, including flu and COVID-19, providing that donors are symptom-free, fever-free and feeling well.
Donors can schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). People can learn more about flu safety and prevention at redcross.org/flusafety.
$10? That’s it?
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Donors should get a reasonable cut of whatever a hospital charges for a unit of blood. I bet it’s at least 25 times $10.
more like 40X
Yeah, I agree with tiered pricing. What if you didn’t get the mandatory needle in the arm from last year? You get more than $10?
@Exit 12 Pay $250 (or more) to blood donors and you’ll have the homeless junkies lined up. No telling what nastiness they have in their blood.
remembering a time when it paid enough to buy lunch and a quart of Brown Derby; remembering 67 cents a quart….
The Red Cross sells the donated blood to hospitals for $150 a unit, which is used to help cover operating costs. Hospitals then charge over $3,000 a unit for a transfusion, which is used to help the CEO buy a new super yacht.
Holy smokes. Thanks for the information. I’ve never been admitted to a hospital – let alone received a transfusion.
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@Dawg…..Blood transfusions are expensive but platelet transfusions are 3 or 4 times that of whole blood.
Love to help but just can’t do it
Blood drive December 7th 9 am to 3 pm at 4000 Clayton Road. Sign up using link below:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=GSCONCORD&cid=siebel&med=email&source=bdc_email&utm_source=siebel&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bdc_email
A knitted beanie is a tremendous incentive. They will probably be overwhelmed by donors!
I hope I never need blood. I am a “pure blood”. No covid poison.
I would rather die than get poison blood!