A spokesperson put the crisis into perspective, explaining that while every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, the Red Cross only has a 1-day supply to work with.
Blood donations in the Bay Area are down significantly as the region reacts to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In severe cases, a single patient can use an entire hospital's supply of blood, Antipa explained, as she told a sobering story about a woman who not only needed the hospital's entire supply but was airlifted to a second treatment center for more.
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