There’s a critical need for all A and O blood types at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks. Reserves of those types have been far below ideal levels for some time now, according to CBCO spokesman, Chris Pilgrim.
"When we have less than a three-day supply of blood on the shelves, we consider that kind of a shortage," said Pilgrim, "but we have chronically, over the last several weeks and months, been running at less than a one-day supply of blood on the shelves, and that's when it gets kind of dangerous. And our ability to handle an emergency should one arise can be compromised with blood reserves of those levels."
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March and schools shut down, the CBCO’s blood reserves dropped. The blood bank relies heavily on drives at schools and on other mobile blood drives.
"We depleted our reserves, and we've been living on this kind of hand to mouth kind of system ever since," said Pilgrim.
He hopes they’ll eventually be able to resume blood drives in schools. But he said they need people to give now at a CBCO donor center.
The CBCO is the sole supplier of blood and plasma for more than 40 area hospitals.
Find out more at cbco.org.
