The American Red Cross national blood supply has fallen to critically low levels, potentially threatening the medical care of patients with an emergency need for blood.
  • downpunxx@kbin.social
    261·
    9 months ago

    So, let me get this straight, we’re supposed to DONATE our blood, which is then sold to Hospitals, and billed to patients insurance? Is that right? We’re supposed to DONATE our blood, which, if we need blood in the future, we will then be billed for out of pocket if our insurance companies simply choose not to pay for the procedure? We’re supposed to DONATE blood which we may have to pay for in the future, which might ruin us financially?

    Am I getting this right?

  • Obinice@lemmy.worldEnglish
    171·
    9 months ago

    To save time for those who wonder which nation the title forgets to mention;

    The American Red Cross

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    9 months ago

    I used to donate all the time pre-covid.

    We had good people come to my office and I could give while on the clock.

    When COVID calmed down I tried to find a good place, but they’re all shitty and the stuff went down hill due to nursing shortage.

    Plus you have to usually go through a third party that makes money off it. And the shitty service is because they know people will donate anyways. Because I tried a couple, now I’m getting all types of spam calls, including an automated one that started out with a woman screaming “help, there’s been a car accident”.

    Lots more people would donate if it wasn’t a terrible fucking system.

    • rock_hand@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      9 months ago

      I know they suck. But the people who need it get it and that’s what’s important. The spam is aggravating though.

    • Phantom3805@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      My coworker reached out and asked about being a donation center and they oblige. Your workplace probably just stopped working with them. We still do them regularly and never really stopped during covid.

  • neuropean@kbin.social
    82·
    9 months ago

    For those wanting sustainable red cells, hit me up. I’m gonna modify the 500 genes or so in the pig genome to insert the human cDNA and make them compatible for xenotransfusion. Gonna need a gofundme though, probably gonna cost half a billion or so.

  • rock_hand@lemmy.worldEnglish
    61·
    9 months ago

    Seriously, if you can you should give blood. There’s no good reason not to for most people.

    • tpyo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      9 months ago

      I donated regularly, until my hematocrit wouldn’t be high enough and I couldn’t anymore (tried a few times at a couple different places). It was over the course of a couple years, not just my trying to donate back to back. I’ve tried a few times over the years. But it’s been a while, maybe I’ll give it a shot again

  • zepheriths@lemmy.worldEnglish
    62·
    9 months ago

    I have an idea… how’s about we learn not to use the thickest needle on the smallest people? (I am speaking from a personal experience and know this probably isn’t the norm. But it has happened 2 to many times to my mom)

    • Chetzemoka@kbin.social
      10·
      9 months ago

      Unfortunately we have to use large bore needles for blood. Smaller needles will damage red blood cells :/

      (I’m a nurse. It’s a problem when giving blood transfusions to smaller people also.)

  • Anonymousllama@lemmy.worldEnglish
    52·
    9 months ago

    Do they still actively try and discriminate against gay guys and their blood? Last I checked it disqualified you from donating if you had same sex action within the last 6 months.

    Maybe when they’re legitimately desperate (and not artificially for the sake of boosting numbers), they can set that aside or have realistic time periods for LGBT people.

    • CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      9 months ago

      I worked for a company 20 years ago that had already been trying to bring synthetic blood to market for 20 years.

      Far as I know they still haven’t released it.

      It’s really, really hard to do.

    • BrikoXOPMEnglish
      5·
      9 months ago

      Most of it is not approved for use in humans.