The number of donors that can be accepted at blood clinics is limited to respect physical-distancing restrictions
Donations had initially dropped about 20 per cent because of concerns about the novel coronavirus and, with the suspension of elective surgeries, the demand for blood was down about 15 per cent.“It’s a return to a new normal,” said Peter MacDonald, director of donor relations.
But the inventory has a shelf life – a year for frozen plasma, 42 days for red blood cells and five days for platelets – so the supply is no longer meeting demand.Story continues below advertisement MacDonald is hoping a return to more mobile clinics across the country beginning in July, including in some communities where they were cancelled, will help with the shortage.
“It is a concern. When the message went out in mid-March our attendance rates improved. It was one of the few things you could do in public, a way to make a difference in your community and we weren’t competing with a lot of other options,” he said.
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