WITH DONATIONS DOWN, BLOOD DONORS ESSENTIAL

Local officials of the American Red Cross have expressed concern over a decrease in area blood donations and have urged people to participate in one of a number of upcoming blood drives. We join them in urging the same.

Traditionally, they say, blood donations fall off in December, but since Thanksgiving donations by people who sign up to give blood are 10 percent below the scheduled donations of a year ago.

The decline in giving during December particularly will be noticed over the next two months at the 24 Missouri and Illinois hospitals supplied by the Southeast Missouri-Southern Illinois blood depot, the officials said. The need for adequate blood supplies during January and February is particularly vital because of the higher-than-usual occurrence of vehicle accidents due to bad weather and the fact that more elective surgeries are performed in those two months.

The Red Cross officials attributed the decline in donations primarily to four factors: 1) donors not giving because they were sick with influenza; 2) donors being too busy during the holiday season; 3) employee layoffs reducing the number of people who are available to give blood at those companies; and 4) fear of AIDS.

One who is sick understandably cannot give blood. If fewer people are available to give blood at businesses whose workers routinely donate, an overall reduction in giving logically can be expected.

Being too busy during the holiday season is no excuse for not giving. Although this time of year can be hectic, with the number of blood drives held in the area most people can find the little time it takes to make a donation.

A fear of contracting AIDS is an erroneous fear that must be laid to rest; officials say it is virtually impossible to get the virus by donating blood.

At the same time that donations are down in this area, they have been adequate or higher than usual in other parts of the state. That is unusual because people of this area traditionally have done their part to assure that supplies are adequate. Seldom do we hear of a decline in the number of donors, leading us to believe that officials are correct in attributing much of the decline to recent outbreaks of influenza in the area.

When regular donors, for whatever reasons, don't come through, it's up to those who do not donate regularly and those who have never donated to do so. The Red Cross' monthly blood drive is set for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau. A heavy turnout of donors would be just what the doctor ordered. Someone's life depends on it.