The Northern California Community Blood Bank is in critical need of all blood types and platelets

Our local blood bank is in critical need of all blood types and platelets. This has been a noticeable trend for the blood bank over the last couple of weeks.

“We’ve kind of been noticing across the board for other blood centers as well that it’s just been a real drop in donations,” said Kyle Windham, the Director of Donor Resources. 

Blood platelets are used on patients who might have bled during surgery. It helps them heal. Donating platelets takes a little longer than donating whole blood.

“Platelets and blood are a little bit different,” Windham said. “Platelets, you get hooked up to an Apheresis machine and it will take a lot longer. It takes on average about an hour and a half to about 2 hours, depending on how much you do. And the requirements are a little different.”

To donate platelets they have to first determine a count on you, which is basically what your platelet count is. People need to be over the age of 16 to donate either. People need to be healthy and be able to answer a couple of screening questions. 

“We obviously would like to get out of critical as soon as possible,” Windham said. “You can see the hospitals right behind us. We send to them quite a bit. We send to all the local hospitals and they’re always in need of blood products. so as soon as possible.”

If you ever thought to donate blood or platelets now is the time. The Northern California Blood Bank takes walk-ins and appointments for donations.