Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, blood donation meetings have been canceled one after another in various places, and it is an unusual situation that blood for transfusion cannot be stably secured mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

According to the Japanese Red Cross Kanto Koshinetsu Block Blood Center, an emergency declaration was issued, and since April, the target has been set monthly, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, due to the effects of working from home at companies and the spread of online classes at universities. It means that it is an unusual situation where the amount of blood donation cannot be secured.



Of these, in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures, about 40% of blood donation bus dispatch schedules were canceled from April to last month, so demand is highest. The 400 ml blood donation was about 45,700 less than the target.



In addition, it is said that it is appropriate to secure at least 3 days' worth of blood for stable supply of blood for transfusion, but the number of surgeries that had been decreasing for a while has increased, so From mid-October to last month, the amount dropped to 80% of the appropriate amount.



Until now, it has been said that medical institutions have been prevented from being affected by receiving blood from other areas and strengthening calls on the streets, but the infection of the new coronavirus will spread. In the meantime, the future is uncertain.



Tomohiko Mitsuyoshi, Chief of the General Affairs Planning Division, Kanto Koshinetsu Block Blood Center, Japanese Red Cross Society, said, "Currently, we have to rely on individual cooperation. If blood donations continue to decrease, there are concerns about the impact on medical institutions, so we will continue I would like to ask for your cooperation so that you can donate blood. "

Blood donation on the streets and residential areas has increased significantly

According to the Tokyo Red Cross Blood Center, which is in charge of blood donation work in Tokyo, 20% of the blood donation bus schedule for January has already been canceled in Tokyo.

In addition, the large-scale events during the year-end and New Year holidays, which have been cooperated by many people every year, have been canceled or postponed, making it difficult to secure the target blood donation amount.



For this reason, the center is increasing the number of blood donations on the streets and residential areas significantly more than usual.



On this day, we stopped the blood donation bus in the square in front of JR Chofu Station, and the staff called out to the passers-by to call for cooperation.



In front of JR Chofu station, there are many people who usually cooperate with blood donation, so last year the blood donation party at this place was about once a month, but this is the three months since September. It has climbed 17 times.



A man in his thirties who donated blood said, "This blood donation event has been canceled at my company. I think it will be difficult to gather people at this time, so I want to help as much as possible." ..

Call for cooperation by postcard or telephone

According to the Tokyo Red Cross Blood Center, the number of people who donate blood will decrease in winter, and it is expected that more people will refrain from going out due to the spread of the new coronavirus, making it difficult to make a forecast.



For this reason, the center calls for cooperation by sending postcards and calling people who donated blood in the past.



On this day, during the lunch break, a female staff member called the people in the area where the blood donation bus came again, told them when and where the blood donation bus would come, and made the final request.



Kentaro Suzuki, Councilor of the Tokyo Red Cross Blood Center, said, "It is a situation I have never experienced that the number of blood donors has decreased so much. I was talking.

Campaign with Comic Market

Every year, the blood donation in Tokyo was supported by many people at the annual large-scale event, but due to the influence of the new coronavirus, these events were canceled one after another or went online. I am.



Of these, the "Comic Market," which is held twice each year at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto-ku, Tokyo, is an event in which a total of 500,000 people participate. In recent years, JRCS has put out about 30 blood donation buses at the venue. I have called for cooperation.

It is said that about 1,500 people cooperated each time, but this time the event was canceled at the actual venue in both summer and winter.



For this reason, the organization that hosts the Comic Market and the JRCS are planning to start a campaign to call for blood donation, which is introduced on the website.



In the campaign, if you donate blood in the blood donation room of 1 metropolitan area and 3 prefectures from 30th to 31st of this month, you will get a poster with the character of "Virtual YouTuber".



At the "Comic Market Preparatory Meeting," he commented, "I want as many people as possible to cooperate when such blood donations are not collected."