Red Cross needs blood: “It’s been a real challenge throughout the pandemic”

Posted on June 9, 2022
Lyn Hruska, Executive Director of the Central Illinois chapter spoke with WJBC’s Scott Miller. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – Amidst the pandemic, the Red Cross is seeing a blood shortage across the board.

According to Lyn Hruska, executive director of the central Illinois chapter, the pandemic put a strain on blood donations, causing the Red Cross to be in dire need of blood.

“The challenge is always collecting enough blood. It’s just been a real challenge throughout the pandemic, even now just getting enough people comfortable to get out and give,” she told WJBC’s, Scott Miller.

A plus side of donating blood, Hruska reports the Red Cross checks for COVID antibodies to see if someone is immune to COVID-19.

“Every single unit of blood that is collected, we collect one little extra tighter that we send to a lab to make sure that there’s nothing in the blood to make sure that there’s nothing in the blood that is potentially a risk for you as the donor.”

To donate blood, you must be 17 years of age and weigh over 100 pounds.

The American Red Cross Superhero Summer Blood Drive is on June 15.

Reservations can be made at RedCrossblood.org.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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