Due to the extreme cold and other factors, the American Red Cross is issuing an emergency call for blood donors in Iowa. Samantha Pollard, spokeswoman for the agency’s Midwest Blood Services Region, says they have less than a three-day supply of most blood types. A five-day supply is ideal for stocking hospitals for emergencies and daily needs but that’s fallen off over the past month.
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Pollard suggests folks who are scheduled to give blood should stay home if they don’t feel well.
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Pollard says with two months of winter still ahead, severe cold weather may cancel more blood drives, resulting in an elevated threat to an already-low blood supply.