Blood Supply Falls To Half Of 'Ideal' 7-Day Inventory: New York Blood Center

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Blood Center raised the alarm this week, asking the community to donate blood in the wake of a shortage that has left staffers with a three-to-four-day supply of blood overall, which is below the ideal seven-day inventory.

Types B-, O+, and O-, which is the blood type most often used in emergency settings, are "especially critical," at just a one-day supply, a spokeswoman for the center told Patch. Collections during the week of Thanksgiving fell roughly 20 percent below the level needed to meet hospital demand, which is about 1,500 donations short, she said.

The center must collect at least 7,500 donations every week to keep pace with patient needs across New York and New Jersey, so over the next several weeks, donations must exceed that baseline to recover from the holiday shortfall and stabilize the region’s blood supply, according to the center.

Blood drives this week include:

• Tuesday: @ St. Joseph's University – Conference Room (155 West Roe Blvd., Patchogue) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and St. Mary Roman Catholic Church – Sacred Heart Hall (20 Harrison Ave., East Islip) from 1:45 to 7:45 p.m.
• Wednesday: @ North Shore University Hospital (300 Community Dr., Manhasset) from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
• Thursday: @ NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island (101 Mineola Blvd./2nd St., Mineola) from 7 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. and East Broad Elementary School (751 Seamans Neck Rd., Seaford) from 1:45 to 7:30 p.m.
• Friday: @ West Babylon High School (500 East Great Neck Rd., West Babylon) from 3 to 7:15 p.m.

For more information, click here.