Livingston County residents are being encouraged to consider donating blood amid what is said to be a critical shortage.

The American Red Cross has extended an urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, officials say the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves for patient emergencies and medical treatments. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. While just 7% of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type.

Donors of all blood types – especially types O positive and O negative – are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets. Those interested can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. A list of upcoming drives in Livingston County is attached. (JM)