TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Blood Center is urging everyone who is able to donate blood, as the country only has enough supplies to last for under four days.
The center said on Saturday morning (July 8) that blood stocks across the entire country and all blood types will now only last 3.4 days, while Kaohsiung has the most severe shortage with only 2.6 days left, per CNA.
According to the center, a safe stock of blood is a seven to 10 day supply, four to seven days is low, and less than four days indicates an urgent need for extra blood. Higher tourism during the summer holiday, in addition to recent high temperatures and heavy rainfall, have meant the number of people donating blood is lower than expected, according to the center's head of planning Liu Chun-hung (劉俊宏).
Liu also said that despite Taiwan’s pandemic status being officially downgraded, the country is experiencing a fourth wave of COVID cases. He said that an increased number of monkeypox cases has combined with this to reduce the number of people donating blood.
Taipei has 3.7 days of blood left, Liu said, and type O blood is the most scarce, with a three-day supply. He said that there is no way to postpone surgeries such as organ transplants and heart operations that require blood, and said that transferral services from other localities with more blood are being pushed to their limits.
Hsinchu has the safest level of blood supply at 5.9 days and uses about 1,000 bags per day, about half that of Taipei. Liu said that even though the Hsinchu supply is relatively stable, it supports Taipei, and if it is required to support other localities, the need for blood will also become very serious.
Liu urged those who are healthy, do not have colds, and have not been diagnosed with any diseases to donate blood as soon as possible.
Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are recommended to wait 14 days before donating blood, and those who have tested positive for monkeypox should wait 21 days after recovering from all symptoms. Those who have been vaccinated for monkeypox should not donate blood until 28 days after the vaccination.
For instructions on how to donate blood, and a list of locations throughout Taiwan to do so, please see here.
