Local News in Brief : Countywide : Blood Shortage Prompts Appeal by Red Cross
Blood donations dropped during the holiday season, prompting Red Cross officials to issue a special appeal to donors for the first weeks of the new year.
Shortages were especially acute for Group O, the most common blood type, and for platelets, a clotting product found in blood of all types, said Sylvia Fantos, a Red Cross spokeswoman.
Fantos said many people who signed up to donate during the holiday season failed to appear for their appointments. Normally, 10% to 15% of donors do not show up, but in December the no-show rate was 35%, she said.
“We need approximately 450 people to donate blood a day,” Fantos said. “Currently we are collecting about 365.”
For more information, call the Red Cross at 835-5381, Ext. 450.
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