CHAMPAIGN – Summertime in the U.S. means longer days, hotter nights and the end of the academic year. But the sunny season also leads to a decrease in blood donations by around 20 percent.
Summer often influences disrupted schedules as more people plan vacations and students begin their breaks. At the same time, summer is the start of ‘trauma season’ when hospitals see an increase in patients suffering from trauma-related injuries. This creates a dangerous paradox as more people need blood and fewer people are giving it.
Bruce Wellman is a physician at Carle Hospital in Urbana and has been working with blood transfusions for nearly 50 years. He said as summer approaches his hospital prepares for a drop in their blood supply.
“People have different schedules in the summer than they do in the winter and may not be as available,” Wellman said. “So annually, we have an issue between Memorial Day and Labor Day, across the country, where we can be struggling for blood donations.”
Part of this decrease is linked to the absence of school blood drives, according to Connie Esparza, the communications director for the Red Cross of Illinois. These pop-up donation opportunities provide 20 percent of blood donations in the country.
Out of 62 percent of the population eligible to donate blood in the U.S. only three percent did in 2024. These donations are critical in the medical field as a life-saving tool used in a variety of operations and treatments.
Donations are broken down into whole blood, red cells, plasma or platelets. Each donation type has a different shelf life which impacts the need for donations. While whole blood can last up to 35 days, plasma can only be stored for five days, according to the Red Cross.
Wellman said at Carle they usually operate with a blood supply gauged to last between one to three days.
“We typically think a three to five day supply is adequate, between one and three is somewhat challenging. And when you get below one you really need to look at your procedures and alternatives,” Wellman said.
When a hospital’s blood supply is low, medical practitioners sometimes need to reconsider or recommend alternative options to patients.
Wellman said when this isn’t feasible, they can request blood from other locations within their network to continue providing care to their patients. And in his experience at Carle, it only takes up to a few hours to receive the blood they need.
In order to donate blood a person must be at least 17-years-old, in good health, and weigh at least 110 pounds.