The number of people volunteering to donate blood is at the lowest level in 20 years

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The United States is facing an emergency blood shortage, according to the American Red Cross, and there is growing concern that a combination of severe winter weather and seasonal respiratory illnesses could lead more people to cancel their donations and that the shortage may delay medical procedures.

The number of people volunteering to donate blood is at the lowest level in 20 years, and over the past two decades, the number who donate through the Red Cross has fallen about 40%, the nonprofit announced Sunday.

Now, there does not appear to be enough donated blood to meet demand among hospitals and patients in need. Data from the national organization America’s Blood Centers indicates that, as of Monday, at least 17 community blood centers have a one-day supply or less, “critically” low supply that suggests they need donations as soon as possible.

“One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, the nation’s largest blood supplier, said in the announcement. “A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country – and its availability can be the difference between life and death, however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate.”

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, there was a donation shortfall of nearly 7,000 units, according to the Red Cross.

“Now, getting out of the holidays and looking at what hospital demand is starting to look like, we can see that we need about 8,000 additional donations every week in January in order to shore up supply,” Dr. Eric Gehrie, executive physician director for the Red Cross, said Monday.

One unit of blood, equivalent to about a pint, is typically collected during a donation, and experts estimate that a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.

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