Red alert: Canadian blood banks have only three days' worth of O+ and O- blood left
Canadian blood banks are facing a major crisis, with only three days’ worth of O-positive and O-negative blood left in their supply.
According to Canadian Blood Services, the national inventory is running critically low on certain blood groups.
On Friday, the Canadian Blood Services said there’s an “immediate need” for all eligible donors to help replenish the national inventory of blood products.
There is an immediate need for plasma donors.
To maintain an optimal blood product inventory, it’s critical that our call for donors breaks through the compassion fatigue many people are feeling as we recover from the pandemic.
Book your appointment at https://t.co/S2DZvnZ1xe. pic.twitter.com/mA3wVa5tXS
— Canadian Blood Services (@CanadasLifeline) August 5, 2022
O-positive blood is the most common in Canada. According to Blood.ca, 39% of Canadians share this blood type.
The only determinant for patients receiving O-positive blood is the presence of a specific kind of hereditary protein called the Rh factor. If you have it, you can receive O-positive blood cells in an emergency situation.
On the other hand, only 7% of Canadians fall under the O-negative type. Blood.ca calls this group “a small percentage with a huge impact” — for good reason.
This type of red blood cell is compatible with all other blood types. “This means that in critical emergencies — when there is no time to confirm a patient’s blood type — O-negative blood can make a lifesaving difference,” states Canadian Blood Services.
Unfortunately, all blood groups aside from AB-positive and AB-negative are in critically low supply in Canadian blood banks.
Blood.ca
There’s only five days’ worth of A-positive, A-negative, and B-negative blood in Canada’s inventory, with a six-day supply for B-positive blood, as of Friday.
If you would like to make a donation in this dire time of need, click here to find a blood bank near you. Before you book an appointment, make sure you’re eligible to donate by visiting the Canadian Blood Services’ guide here.