‘Urgent’ Need for O Negative Blood in Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The demand for O negative blood at Tampa Bay area hospitals is starting to outpace supply. With that in mind, OneBlood, the region’s main blood center, has issued a plea for donors to step forward.

O negative blood is most especially in high demand, the center explained, because it can be given to any patient, regardless of their blood type. It is frequently used to help premature babies, trauma patients and people battling cancer.

“Blood donations at the end of summer are not keeping pace with the ongoing demand for type O negative, universal donor blood,” explained Daniel Eberts, OneBlood spokesman. “High school and college students have been on holiday along with other donors, causing donations to diminish, yet the need for blood does not take a vacation. Only 7 percent of people have this blood type, but 100 percent can receive it.”

With the Labor Day holiday right around the corner, Eberts said it is especially important to build up the supply to be prepared for emergencies that arise while making certain ongoing needs are met.

Anyone interested in donating blood is asked to visit a OneBlood Donor Center or a Big Red Bus mobile donation location. For a complete list of sites to donate at in the Tampa Bay area, visit OneBlood online.

In order to donate, people must be in generally good health and at least 16 years old. Donors must weigh at least 100 pounds.

All donors are important, Eberts said, but O negative donors are “the silent members of the First Responder Teams.”

To find out more about donating blood, visit OneBlood online.

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