White House Calls On Millennials, Gen Z To Donate Blood Amid ‘Severe’ National Shortage

Topline: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called on young people Thursday during the White House press briefing to donate blood as the American Red Cross faces a “severe blood shortage” amid social distancing guidelines.

• American Red Cross has gotten 86,000 fewer blood donations, resulting in a severe national shortage due to an “unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations,” they announced Tuesday.
• “We know many of you are at home practicing the President’s guidelines for social distancing, but one thing we should all consider, especially our millennials and Gen Z, is donating blood,” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams at the press conference.
• This is an different message from the day before, when President Trump and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, pleaded for millennials to abide by quarantine restrictions. 
• There is no data that shows novel coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, according to the American Red Cross.

Background: The American Red Cross supplies 40% of the United States’ blood for medical use. The minimum age to donate blood to the American Red Cross is 17; the organization is taking extra precautions to sanitize donation centers. They expect the shortage to increase and warn that the lack of blood donations could lead to “another health care crisis on top of corona.” Visit the American Red Cross website for more information. 

Tangent: Quantitative research has yet to measure the success of Gen Z or millennials at practicing social distancing and quarantine guidelines.