This summer, the American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage in the U.S. There’s a seasonal pattern to blood donations, which often dip over the summer and during the winter holidays. But experts also say that climate change disrupts the national blood supply, with extreme heat and worsening storms in certain regions keeping people away from blood banks.
“The shortage is not over,” Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, said to STAT, noting that shortages happen periodically. As of Monday, 28 out of 59 community blood centers operated by America’s Blood Centers had just a one-to-two-day supply of blood. Nine centers had less than a day’s worth. It takes at least three days’ worth of supply to meet normal operating demands, according to the organization, which provides more than half of the U.S. blood supply.