A blood shortage in the Inland Empire has become an issue of life or death.
Blood banks across the region are struggling, an issue escalated largely by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. Fewer donors have been willing to give because of safety concerns during the pandemic. Also, they say, canceled school and church blood drives have robbed banks of vital donations.
The LifeStream Blood Bank, which is based in San Bernardino but serves both Inland counties, is down to less than one day’s supply of blood.
As of Friday, Sept. 25, LifeStream had only 16 units of O-positive blood — the blood type most needed and used by hospitals— and 11 units of O-negative blood left on its shelves, spokesman Don Escalante said. The blood bank supplies more than 80 Inland Empire hospitals.
According to the center, newborns, cancer and surgery patients are at high risk of canceled procedures because of the lack of blood.
“We literally are sending blood out the door as soon as it’s available,” said Escalante, who noted that donations are distributed to hospitals only after they have cleared testing protocols for infectious disease, including COVID-19.
Dr. Rick Axelrod, president, CEO and medical director of LifeStream, said hospitals use 10 to 100 units of O-positive blood per day, depending on need. The two most common blood types are O and A-positive.
“COVID has tremendously impacted our ability to collect blood, especially as school and church (blood) drives aren’t open,” said Axelrod, who added that these efforts typically represent 25% of all LifeStream blood donations.
Blood centers across the country have also had to curtail operations due to natural disasters, Axelrod said.
“We are days away from surgeries being canceled,” Axelrod said. “If we can’t get the community to mobilize and help with the shortage, we have to notify the hospitals and they’d have to cancel surgeries, postpone transfusions for cancer patients.”
To collect more donations. LifeStream has several events across the Inland area scheduled in coming weeks.
The San Diego-based Southern California Blood Bank, which also serves southwest Riverside County, reported “extremely dangerously low levels” — less than one day’s supply — in the early days of the pandemic, spokeswoman Claudine Van Gonka said.
She did not specify the current situation, but said supplies are low.
“We typically like to have seven to 10 days’ supply for all our hospitals,” Van Gonka said. “The challenge we face now is trying to make up for mobile drives that have canceled, particularly at high schools and colleges.”
In coming weeks, the Southern California Blood Bank has a handful of mobile drives, including events in Menifee and Temecula.
A representative of the American Red Cross did not specify its blood-supply levels. Christine Welch, a Red Cross spokeswoman for California, said there is a “constant need for blood, platelets and convalescent plasma donors.”
Amid the pandemic, all blood banks have adopted safety precautions to limit the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. Donors and employees are getting temperature checks inside centers and blood mobiles and wearing face masks. Equipment is being sanitized after each donation. And all are keeping 6 feet of social distancing.
Blood banks, including the American Red Cross and LifeStream, provide a COVID-19 anti-body test to let donors know if they have been exposed to the virus in the past.
LifeStream’s Axelrod said that, by the time people reach age 90, they have an 85% chance of having to use one donated blood product.
“The ability to save a life — and pay it forward — is one of the most rewarding things we can do.”
HOW, WHERE TO DONATE
Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. Donors must be in good health, at least 15 years old, weigh at least 115 pounds and provide photo identification.
LifeStream Blood Bank donor centers
San Bernardino, 384 W. Orange Show Road: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Riverside, 4006 Van Buren Blvd.: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Ontario, 1959 E. Fourth St.: Monday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday,Wednesday, and Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Murrieta, 40365 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, Monday and Friday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Moreno Valley, 22500 Town Circle Drive (Moreno Valley Mall), Suite 2214 (upstairs near Harkins Theatres): Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Information: 1-800-879-4484, ext. 458, or https://www.lstream.org/
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September 26, 2020 at 09:38AM
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Facing low supplies during coronavirus times, Inland blood bank LifeStream pushes for donations - Press-Enterprise
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