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The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever national blood crisis in the U.S., warning the public about the worst shortage in over a decade.

The nonprofit said in a statement this week that U.S. blood centers in recent weeks have reported "less than a one-day’s supply of blood of certain critical blood types—a dangerously low level." It noted a decline in donor turnout since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to blood drive cancellations, staffing challenges and donor eligibility misinformation.

Six in 10 Americans have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have received a diagnosis of 2 or more chronic diseases.¹ Millions of Americans live with and manage cancer; diabetes; epilepsy; Alzheimer disease; heart, lung, and kidney disease; rheumatoid arthritis; and other conditions. Many participate in ongoing medication therapy, prescribed regimens, and regular medical support.

The evidence of the capacity crisis was everywhere — with patients in hallways and placed in any spare room. Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO and president of UMass Memorial Health, said one patient, a 90-year-old woman, was placed in a pediatric trauma room. 

Hospitals nationwide are once again buckling under the strain of COVID-19 cases as the ultratransmissible omicron wave crashes into health care systems that are already critically short-staffed and exhausted from previous waves of the pandemic.

The president of UMass Memorial Health last week expressed to staff that “all hands-on deck” were required to help with COVID-19 testing sites both in Worcester and Marlborough as the omicron variant continues to surge within the region.

Last Friday, President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson explained the urgency of the situation in a message sent to UMass Memorial Health’s Core Management team, the organization said.

WORCESTER — COVID-19 continues to wallop Central Massachusetts, with UMass Memorial Health President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson reporting a 40% positivity rate Monday at testing sites, while hospitalizations that have surpassed previous pandemic highs.

“This is crunch time for us,” Dickson said in an interview Monday. “It’s just put an enormous, enormous strain on the hospital.”

BOSTON (CBS) – As colleges and universities across the state prepare to welcome back their students to full in person learning, school officials are doing their part to make sure students are well informed and prepared about new COVID-19 protocols and requirements. “I’m kind of nervous because the cases are high recently, but I feel the school will do everything they can do,” Boston University student Cerelia Liu said.

Starting Monday, Massachusetts hospitals will differentiate between patients they admit primarily for COVID-19 and those admitted to be treated for something else who end up testing positive.

The idea is to give the public a better understanding of how many people are in the hospital because of the virus. But while that data began to be collected Monday, it won't be released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health until January 17, officials said.

Worcester, Massachusetts (CNN) - An incoming tide of patients is slowly drowning UMass Memorial Medical Center, and the US military's National Guard is working to plug the gaps. In wave after daily wave, the emergency crews pull up to the ambulance bay, dropping off patients for which there is no room.

"It's just the perfect storm for a nightmare here in the emergency department," says Dr. Eric Dickson, the CEO of the hospital and an emergency physician.