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December 31, 2019 (San Diego) – The San Diego Blood Bank has put out an urgent plea for both Type O positive and O negative blood donors due to a shortage.
"Coming out of the holiday season, we typically see a decrease in donations of all types at this time due to schools being out of session for the holidays and seasonal illnesses like the flu," said David Wellis, the San Diego Blood Bank's CEO. "The need for type O blood has hit a critically low level and we need the community to help us keep a safe supply for local hospital patients."
Type O positive, the most common blood type, is often needed for hospital patients. Type O negative, the universal donor blood type, can be given to any patient and is often used in emergency rooms when there is no time to test a patient’s blood type.
The San Diego Blood Bank has a half-dozen donor centers throughout San Diego County and 10 bloodmobiles, making it convenient to donate. The locations are:
-- 3636 Gateway Center Ave., Suite 100, San Diego;
-- 776 Arnele Ave., El Cajon;
-- 358 West El Norte Parkway, Suite J, Escondido;
-- 12640 Sabre Springs Parkway, Suite 109, Sabre Springs;
-- 3880 Valley Center Drive, Suites 209-10, Carmel Valley; and
-- 1910 Via Centre Drive, Vista.
To be eligible to give blood, donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in general good health.
Anyone with O negative or O positive type blood, and who is eligible to give blood, is encouraged to make an appointment immediately at www.SanDiegoBloodBank.org or by calling 1-800-4MY-SDBB. Walk-ins are welcome.
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