Supplies of O-negative blood have reached their lowest point this year, prompting the Australian Red Cross blood service to call for thousands with the rare blood type, to donate.
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Over the next fortnight, the blood service is calling on 5000 people to donate to meet hospital demand.
Regular donors are still recovering from cold and flu, causing O-negative reserves to fall to less than two days' supply, said Blood Service spokeswoman Helen Walsh.
"If you are O-negative, someone in your family could be too. We're asking people to talk to their family and encourage them to donate," she said.
A particularly bad flu season this winter has contributed to as many as 1300 donors a day cancelling appointments.
Australian Associated Press