The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.
Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. While just 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type.
Donors of all blood types – especially types O positive and O negative – are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
•January 31, 2 to 7 p.m., Community Christian Church, 2647 Chili Avenue, Chili
•February 6, 1 to 6 p.m., Greece Volunteer Ambulance, 867 Long Pond Road, Greece
•February 7, 1 to 6 p.m., Ogden Community Center, 269 Ogden Center Road, Spencerport
•February 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gates Presbyterian Church, 1049 Wegman Road, Gates
•February 10, 1 to 6 p.m., Riga Town Hall, 6460 Buffalo Road, Churchville
•February 14, 1 to 7 p.m., Christ Community Church, 36 Coleman Creek Road, Brockport
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