COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (Jan. 20, 2020) — The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.  Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood available for patient emergencies and medical treatments. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. While just 7% of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type.

Every day, the Red Cross must collect nearly 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations for patients who rely on blood to survive. Shortfalls in donations can cause delays in essential medical care for patients. Donors of all blood types – especially types O positive and O negative – are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Some area, upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Exira – 1/27/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Exira Recreational Center, 106 N Jefferson

Anita – 2/11/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 805 Main Street

Lewis – 1/29/2020: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Lewis Community Center, 400 West MainStreet

Denison – 2/4/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, 113 South 14th Street

Sidney – 2/13/2020: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Sidney High School, 2754 Knox Rd

Glenwood – 2/3/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 512 2nd St.

Malvern – 1/28/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Malvern Library, 502 Main St

Red Oak – 1/27/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1101 East Summit

Clarinda – 1/21/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 322 N 16th

College Springs – 2/10/2020: 1:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., South Page High School, 600 S Iowa

Essex – 1/24/2020: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Essex High School, 111 Forbes St.

Shenandoah – 2/11/2020: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive

Council Bluffs:

1/24/2020: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Avenue

1/26/2020: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Community of Christ, 140 Kanesville Blvd

2/1/2020: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hy-Vee Broadway, 2323 West Broadway

Crescent – 2/15/2020: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Fire Station, 102 West Florence

Shelby – 2/8/2020: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Shelby Community Building, 500 East Street

Defiance – 2/4/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Peter’s Hall, 402 5th Street

Elk Horn – 1/28/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Elk Horn Lutheran Church, 4313 Main Street

Harlan: 1/21/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Veteran’s Memorial Building, 1104 Morningview; 2/11/2020: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., CDS, 3107 Shelby Street; 2/12/2020: 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Harlan High School, 2102 Durant Street

Westphalia – 1/22/2020: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., St. Boniface Parish Center, 305 Duren St.

Creston: 2/3/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 800 N Sumner; 2/7/2020: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Creston SWCC Instructional Bldg, 1501 W. Townline