Fractured supplychains, bottlenecks, labor shortages due to draconian mandates and the GreatResignation, and lockdowns have triggered shortages and hyper-inflationaryprices for goods & services globally.

One of these essentialsupplies that is reaching a critically perilously low inventory level isAmerica’s blood supply and awareness of this danger is just emerging.

The following chartentitled Americans’ BiggestFearsprovided by The Chapman University Survey of American Fears 2020/21, presentsan overwhelming distrust of government officials.

Running Close to Empty

Underscoring theseverity of the crisis is the following chart entitled US Donor Blood SupplyRunning Lowprovided by America’s Blood Centers which is the umbrella organization fordonated blood.

The Red Cross isresponsible for 40% of donor blood in the US and recently declared a nationalblood donor crisis particularly the eastern US where supply is acute as theabove chart indicates. They added that because of staff shortages many blood driveshave been cancelled nationwide.

Donor Demographics

According to theAssociation for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, 45% of the blooddonors are over 50 - baby boomers. With respect to the younger generation, theAmerican Red Cross reported a 62% fall in blood donations at schools andcolleges.

For the aforementionedreasons the US blood supply is unsurprisingly stubbornly low and will continueat these dangerous levels into the future. Americans could literally pay fortheir lives for lack of blood.

Compounding the low bloodinventory are the types of blood required, some of which are rare and are atlevels even lower than the more common types. From a global perspective, thefollowing comparative chart entitled The Rarest and MostCommon Blood Types Around the World underscores the complexity at matchingcompatible blood types which can vary dramatically from country to country.

The Match-Ups

The aggregate bloodavailable and cross-referencing of specific blood types required compound the crisisand makes replenishments of certain blood types more urgent.

The following chartentitled Who Can You Give BloodTo?provided by the Society of Hematology presents which recipient can receivewhich blood types. For example a recipient with AB+ blood type can receive allblood types while someone with O- can only receive from an O- donor.

Blood | Short ShelfLife

Properly stored blood hasa maximum shelf life of 6 weeks. However studies indicate that after 3 weeks redblood cells are less flexible to pass through the smaller capillaries in atransfusion due to degradation. For this reason blood donations are a continualprocess not a one-off event whose replenishments can only be achieved in-person.Only the wealthiest of preppers with their own medical storage facility in situwith qualified medical personnel on call are able to afford such levels of healthsecurity.

Donation Shortfall | Authority’sLack of Credibility

Americans’ fears about givingblood can be justified. From a psychological perspective the credibility at thehighest levels of the medical profession with respect to continuing officialdissemination, conflicting information and recommendations about Covid and themost recent Omicron virus, has suffered enormously.

From a personal safetyperspective, there’s the fear of catching Covid and its mutations even forthose who are fully vaccinated. The risk of knowingly entering an environment withCovid-infected individuals with Covid has discouraged potential blood donors. Finally,perhaps not for themselves rather the fear of picking up and transmitting thevirus to unvaccinated friends & family or the vaccinated who are at risk toa viral “breakthrough” event

The following chartentitled Americans’ BiggestFearsprovided by The Chapman University Survey of American Fears 2020/21, presentsan overwhelming distrust of government officials.

The Present-DayOverview

Because of continuedrestrictions, blood supply replenishments will stubbornly continue to fallshort of required safety levels.

The lack of governmentand medical credibility will severely hinder its ability to get enough blooddonors in the case of extreme need such as an accident or natural disaster. Withrespect to the former hurricane season in the US begins June 1 and continuesthrough November 30.

The additional riskthat could overwhelm the nation’s blood supply is increasing civil unrest.Inflationary food & energy pricing, pushback against restrictions and mandates,longer days and warmer weather could literally bankrupt the blood banks.

Further hampering blooddonors is the citizens’ need for self-preservation against the aforementionedrisks that makes donating blood a low priority and rather risky endeavor.

Personal DisasterPreparation

With respect topersonal disaster preparation, one should find out and record on their mobiles theirblood type along with those of family and close friends. This information shouldbe shared amongst those parties so in case of a severe blood shortage or unavailability,a family member or close friend can provide the much-needed liquid life supportimmediately.

Conclusion

The low blood inventoryis a public health crisis hanging over the population like sword of Damocleswhich will require a far more aggressive effort at getting blood donors beforeany future crisis occurs.

More importantly, theblood types of family and close friends will lower the risk of you succumbingto a medical event because of the lack of blood donor, especially if you have arare blood type.

©Copyright 2022 Cerulean Council

TheCerulean Council is a NYC-based think-tank that provides prescient,beyond-the-horizon, contrarian perspectives and risk assessments ongeopolitical dynamics and global urban security.