the French Blood Establishment is launching a new call for donors, the O negative group particularly sought after

Desperately looking for donors. As another long weekend approaches and in a month dotted with public holidays, the French Blood Establishment (EFS) is launching a new appeal on Thursday, May 4, to citizens who could donate their blood, in particular those from group O negative.

In May, “with the 4 public holidays and bridges, more than 25,000 blood bags will not be collected by the EFS teams. However, during this period, patients continue to need blood products to be treated “, explains the EFS in a press release. And the lifespan of blood products is limited: seven days for platelets, 42 days for red blood cells.

Universal donors represent only 6% of the population

Some 10,000 donations are needed every day to treat patients, for whom transfusions are essential, according to the establishment. “For several weeks, the blood reserves have remained stable overall, but the pockets of a blood group have decreased sharply: group O, and in particular O rhesus negative”specifies the EFS.

O- group donors (known as “universal donors”), who represent only 6% of the population, have red blood cells that can be transfused to all patients, regardless of their blood group. They can only be transfused with blood cells of their own blood type. A list of collection points can be viewed on the dondesang.efs.sante.fr website or on the Don de sang app.