Blood donations in the U.S. have been dropping like a rock.

“We’ve now reached the lowest levels that we have seen in more than a decade,” said Rodney Wilson, who works for the Red Cross.

He says blood donation levels have been declining since the beginning of the pandemic.

"Typically, we try to keep five days supply of blood on hand, or more. And in recent weeks, we’ve had less than half a day's supply of certain blood types, and about a quarter of hospital’s blood requests are going unmet right now,” said Wilson.

That means there’s not enough blood for people who need transfusions, like people in car accidents or who have diseases like cancer or sickle cell anemia.

“Hospitals and doctors are having to make difficult decisions about how they use this very limited resource and which patients can receive a transfusion now and which patients will have to wait until more blood becomes available,” said Wilson.

The Red Cross is running a campaign to get blood donations up, including giving away free donuts to those who donate. But what if there was another way to get more blood? Or rather, make it.

“The golden ticket, the prize, the Nobel Prize-worthy event is to replicate human blood,” said Army Lt. Col. Matthew Armstrong.

He has spent years studying and researching blood at West Point.

Right now, Synthetic blood does not exist. Lt. Col. Armstrong says there are four challenges we have to overcome.

“It has to have the ability to carry oxygen. It has to be non-toxic. It has to have analogous to actual human blood. And it also has to have a half-life,” said Lt. Col. Armstrong.

In other words, any synthetic blood needs to bring oxygen to your cells. It can’t kill you or make you sick, it needs to be made up of similar materials and flow like regular blood, and it needs to remove itself from your body eventually.

It has to be blood, which is why creating it has been challenging.

But that doesn’t mean it's impossible. Lt. Col. Armstrong says with resources and commitment, he thinks it could be achieved as soon as five years from now, and the benefits could be tremendous.

“If you’re in the army, especially if you’re overseas, there’s a good chance you’re going to need blood over there. It would have changed a lot of outcomes had we been able to get blood faster,” said Lt. Col. Armstrong.

“We wish that we could recreate it so that we wouldn’t need to collect it from donors, but right now, that’s not an option,” said Wilson.

Until it is, the Red Cross encourages everyone who can donate.

If you've ever considered donating blood, now is the time to take action.

Blood donations are absolutely critical right now as the United States faces the worst blood shortage in over a decade, according to the American Red Cross website.

Know your blood type? Type O-positive, Type O-negative and platelets are in the most need right now, the organization said.

The Red Cross, which supplies 40% of the country's blood supply, has seen a 10% decrease in donations since March 2020.

Blood donations are needed for all types of patients such as trauma victims and cancer patients, according to Jessica Merrill, director of biomedical communications for the American Red Cross.

"I know of a teenage cancer patient in New York who recently had to go without a scheduled transfusion due to the lack of available blood," Merrill said. "Imagine how hard it is for a parent to take their sick child home without the treatment they need to feel better."

Many factors are causing the shortage, including canceled blood drives due to illness and staffing limitations, and an active flu season. Weather-related closures have also prevented some blood drives from taking place.

A surge in COVID-19 cases could have also contributed to the ongoing shortage, according to the Red Cross.

Additionally, there has been a 62% drop in college and high school blood drives during the pandemic. These drives made up 25% of donors in 2019 and now account for a mere 10%.

Blood donations are perishable

Blood can't be stockpiled, and the Red Cross has less than a one-day supply of critical blood types.

Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days while platelets have a shelf life of five days, according to the Red Cross.

"The demand for blood never goes away because it's got a shelf life, and we're constantly having to replenish," said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross.

There are eight primary blood types, and humans can only receive certain types of blood that are compatible with their own. If they receive incompatible blood, their body will reject it and they could potentially die. The one exception is Type O-negative blood, which is compatible with all other blood types.

COVID-19 and the flu

If you are sick with COVID-19, the flu or another illness, the Red Cross asks that you do not donate blood at this time.

Fully recovered COVID-19 patients are welcome to donate blood, according to Young. This means the blood donor must be in good health and at least 14 days outside of their last day of COVID-19 symptoms, she explained.

Donors with a fever or cough that brings up phlegm are asked not to donate until 24 hours after their symptoms go away. If you're taking an antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection, you must wait until you are finished with the treatment.

People who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to donate blood, Merrill said.

You need to wait at least eight weeks between standard whole blood donations, seven days between platelet donations and 16 weeks between automated Power Red donations, which prioritize extracting red blood cells.

Not sure about your blood type?

You can find out by donating blood or getting it drawn at a doctor's office. There are at-home testing options available for purchase online, either with finger-pricking or saliva-based testing. It is not necessary to know your blood type to donate blood.

If you're not eligible to donate, you can volunteer at a blood drive as a blood donor ambassador or a transportation specialist.

Gay and bisexual men can now donate blood in England, Scotland and Wales.

The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) announced Monday that it has changed its eligibility requirements, which now allow more men who have sex with men to donate blood, platelets and plasma.

The NHS says the historic change was made, in part, to be more inclusive, while also keeping blood just as safe.

Eligibility in those countries is now based on individual circumstances surrounding health, travel, and sexual behaviors evidenced to be at a higher risk of sexual infection.

Blood donors will no longer be asked if they are a man who has had sex with another man, removing the element of assessment that is based on the previous population-based risks, according to the NHS.

Instead, officials say any individual who attends to give blood, regardless of gender, will be asked if they have had sex and, if so, about recent sexual behaviors. Anyone who has had the same sexual partner for the last three months will be eligible to donate.

The process of giving blood will not change.

Under the changes, people can donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months, or if they have a new sexual partner with whom they have not had anal sex, and there is no known recent exposure to an STI or recent use of PrEP or PEP. This will mean more men who have sex with men will be eligible to donate.

The change in the U.K. comes at a time when blood donations are needed more than ever. Amid the pandemic, blood donations have been historically low in several countries, including the U.S., where the ability for gay and bisexual men to donate blood is still restricted.

Although the FDA relaxed its restrictions last year on gay men being allowed to donate, the agency’s current policy still says men who have had sex with another man in the last three months can’t donate. Previously, those such donors were asked to wait 12 months before giving blood. These policies have been in place since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s.

Just Monday, the America Red Cross said a rise in the number of trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. It’s pleading with those eligible to donate to do so.

The Red Cross says it's also working to widen the ability for gay and bisexual men to donate blood.

“The Red Cross recognizes the hurt this policy has caused to many in the LGBTQ+ community and believes blood donation eligibility should not be determined by methods that are based upon sexual orientation,” wrote the America Red Cross. “We are committed to working with partners toward achieving this goal.”

CINCINNATI —

If you're a thrill-seeker looking to make an impact on your community -- you're in luck!

Hoxworth Blood Center will be giving out tickets to Kings Island to a handful of blood donors this week.

Here's what you have to do to be in the running:

First you have to donate blood at any Hoxworth neighborhood donor center between Monday and Saturday.

Then at the end of each day -- four winners from each center will be chose -- winning a four-pack or park tickets.

If you do win -- you can pick up the tickets at the same donor center where you gave blood.

“It’s no surprise that last summer looked quite different for most of us as we grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Alecia Lipton, spokesperson for Hoxworth Blood Center. “As vaccinations increase and life starts going back to normal, we hope that the Cincinnati community will remember to make blood donation a part of their schedule—and we’re certain that this Kings Island giveaway will inspire the community to experience the thrill of saving lives.”

Appointments for blood donation are encouraged. Donors can schedule appointments by calling 513-451-0910 or by scheduling online at www.hoxworth.org.