Coronavirus Outbreak Causes Serious Blood Shortage Around United States

Stephanie Stahl reports.

DISCOVERED A BLOOD MARKER THATMAY PREDICT THE RISK OF KIDNEYFAILURE.THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKIS CAUSED SERIOUS BLOODSHORTAGE AROUND THE COUNTRYAND RIGHT HERE IN THEPHILADELPHIA REGION.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL IS HERE WITH MORE ONTHAT.AND A SPECIAL BLOOD DRIVETHAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW.STEPHANIE?Reporter: JEST, A THE REDCROSS SAYS IT YOU ARE LENTGENTLEMEN NEEDS BLOOD AND SAFETO DONATE.TOMORROW BLOOD DRIVE HANG INBRYN MAWR ORGANIZED BY THEFAMILY OF STAR ATHLETEFIGHTING CANCER.THIS IS VIDEO OF JACK'SFIRST WALK AFTER HIS LEG WASAMPUTATE IN THE FEBRUARY, BIGADJUSTMENT FOR THE FOOTBALLPLAYER.JACK WHO IS 18 HAS OSTEOSARCOMA, RARE FORM OF BONECANCER.IN CHEMO TREATMENTS AT CHOP,JACK DOESN'T NEED BLOODTRANSFUSIONS, BUT OTHERPATIENTS DO THAT'S WHATINSPIRED BLOOD DRIVE AT SACREDHEART AHMADDIYA ANY IN BRYNMAWR.EVERY TIME, YOU JUST WANT,EVERYBODY WANTS TO TRY TO DOSOMETHING TO HELP.SO THIS IS SOMETHING THATWE THOUGHT SHOULD GO FORWARD,WE FELT LIKE WE COULD HELPOTHERS.YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT TRYINGTIMES.JACK'S AUNT SAYS THECURRENT CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKMAKES THE BLOOD DRIVE THURSDAYEVEN MORE IMPORTANT.GIVING TO SAVE A LIFE.THAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL WECONTINUE WITH THESE DRIVERS,WHILE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDSWILL BE CANCELED, WE WANTED TOSTEP UP AND FORGE ON.THE RED CROSS SAYS BLOOD ISDESPERATELY NEEDED.DONATION HAVES DROPPEDDRAMATICALLY BECAUSE OF THECOVID-19 OUTBREAK.JUST THIS AREA ALONE IN THEPEN JERSEY AREA, WHICH ISSOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ANDNEW JERSEY, WE HAVE HAD OVER220 BLOOD DRIVES, CANCEL,RESULTING IN 8,000 UNITS EVERYBLOOD.AND I WILL TELL YOU, THATNUMBER CONTINUES TO GO UPDAILY.GUY ARE W RED CROSS SAYSGIVING BLOOD IS SAFE.RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE ANDCOLLECTIONS STRICTLY FOLLOWFEDERAL GUIDELINES, TO MAKESURE DONORS AND STAFF AREN'TPUT AT ANY ADDITIONAL RISK OFEXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS.WE'RE, EXTREMELY CAUTIOUSABOUT, THAT MAKING SUREPEOPLE'S TEMPERATURES ARECHECKED, MAKING SURE EXTRAHAND WASHING, SANITATION ANDHAND SANITIZER ALL AT THEBLOOD DRIVE.ORGANIZED BY JACK'S GROUPHASHTAG TOO STRONG HAS BEENEXPANDED BECAUSE SO MANYOTHERS HAVE CANCELED.DONATION TIMES ARE ASSIGNEDAHEAD OF TIME, THERE ARE NOWALK UPS.EVERYBODY AROUND US LIKE REALBIG FAMILY, EVERYBODY IN THECOMMUNITY, EVERYBODY SAYS WHATCAN WE DO TO HELP.EVERYBODY WANTS TO HELP.AND EVERYONE CAN HELP INDIFFERENT WAYS.AND THE RED CROSS ISHOLDING A SERIES EVERY BLOODDRIVES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,PEOPLE ARE URGED TO REGISTERAHEAD OF TIME.RED CROSS OR GO ON LINE AT REDCROSS BLOOD.ORG.YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR CODE ANDFIND ONE CLOSE TO YOU, WE'LLHAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU,