With the increase of COVID-19 infections across the Valley, the shelves at blood banks are running low.

Blood bank officials say the fear of catching COVID-19 has lowered the amount of blood available, but the need for blood continues.

"The more patients we have in the hospital, the more pathology's we're going to see and the more need for blood transfusions," Dr. Carlos Ramírez at the South Texas Health System said.

While Ramirez says their hospitals have enough blood, for now, the pandemic could cause a strain on their resources.

"The O-positive is the most common blood type among Hispanics," said Martin Gomez, a spokesperson for Vitalant. 

If you would like to donate, La Plaza Mall in McAllen will host a blood drive this weekend from 2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.vitalant.com.

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