Blood donors sought amid O-negative shortage

Officials with the Stanford Blood Center Thursday asked Bay Area residents to help address a critical shortage in O-negative blood and platelets.

Decreased donations over the holidays and higher-than-normal demand has left the blood center with a very low inventory of O-negative whole blood, as well as platelets, center officials said.

The Stanford Blood Center was created to meet the needs of Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

Anyone willing to donate must be in good health with no cold or flu symptoms. They are advised to eat well prior to donation, drink plenty of fluids and must provide a photo ID at the time of donation, according to the center.

People can schedule an appointment or locate a nearby mobile blood drive by visiting sbcdonor.org or calling (888) 723-7831.