Amid a nationwide blood shortage, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper publicly donated blood Thursday morning at the American Red Cross of Eastern North Carolina and encouraged others to consider doing so.

“Giving blood saves lives,” Cooper said. “Blood supplies are critically low right now, so I encourage you to donate if you’re healthy and eligible.”

The Red Cross has been vocal about its need for more blood donors over the past year, with supplies dipping to their lowest levels since 2015. The shortage has developed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our inventory is truly at crisis levels,” the Red Cross said in a statement earlier this month. “Right now, doctors are being forced to decide which patients receive blood transfusions and who must wait. It’s a dire situation.”

Locally, UNC hosted its annual Holiday Blood Drive in December and collected 320 units of blood, which the Red Cross said could impact 960 people. Despite these efforts, the country is still struggling to make up for blood drives which were cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“The Red Cross is nationally looking at the lowest blood supply levels we’ve seen in almost 10 years,” Jennifer DeNeal, chair of the Carolina Blood Drive, said at the event. “There is a huge national shortage of blood.”

According to the Red Cross, there is no blood donation waiting period for individuals who have received flu shots or the COVID booster shot, so long as they are symptom-free.

For more information about blood drives near you or to make an appointment to donate visit RedCrossBlood.org.

 

Featured image via Roy Cooper on Twitter

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