COVID-19, winter weather have strained nation's blood supply
and last updated 2021-03-03 21:00:16-05
The nation's blood supply is critically low as COVID-19 put a strain on the country's blood centers, and the weather made that situation even worse.
âItâs a bad time,â says Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).
The AABB tries to keep blood safe by coordinating donations and transfusions.
âIâm used to hearing about emergency calls for blood and theyâre always answered. This is the first time in my memory that there is a call for blood and every center around the country is trying to scramble to fill the needs. In Texas, theyâre not entirely able... because theyâre at a low level at their own centers,â said Cohn, who also says there's a need everywhere.