Blood supply for the Johnstown Region of the American Red Cross -- which includes Centre County -- is just below minimum levels, up from a critical situation earlier this month.

The Johnstown Region now collects about 90 percent of the 715 pints of blood needed daily to maintain minimum supply levels, said Kim Piskura, regional public relations specialist for blood services.

Blood types A-positive, B-positive, O-negative and A-negative continue to lag behind the 100 percent level, said Virginia Brown, executive director of the Centre Communities Chapter of the Red Cross.

Piskura cited several factors for the drop in blood supply levels from December to January.

The holiday season caused an initial drop in donations because most people were preoccupied with Christmas activities, Piskura said.

"During late December and early January, there is always a slight dip in donations and an increase in accidents, which deplete blood supply," she said.

Brown added that the holidays are always slow for the local chapter because the University ends classes and everyone leaves.

"Student blood (donations) are very important to us," Brown said. "There is always a lot of hype during the Pitt-Penn State blood drive and then a big letdown afterwards."

The recession has also played a role in fewer donations, Piskura said.

The Red Cross holds many blood drives at companies and industries, she said, but if people are being laid off from these places, not as many people can donate.

"There is a correlation between the economy and blood collection, and a lot of people don't realize that," Piskura said.

Weather plays a role in blood collection, too. Many people do not feel like going to a blood drive when it is cold and snowy, Piskura said. And the flu season, which hinders potential donors, came earlier this year.

One final factor may hinder potential donors who have never given blood -- fear of contracting the AIDS virus. But that fear is a misconception since the virus that causes AIDS cannot be contracted from donating blood, Piskura stressed.

"You cannot contract the AIDS virus (from donating blood)," Piskura said. "The needles we use are sterile and disposed of immediately, and all the staff wear gloves."

The Red Cross must keep refilling its blood supply because blood components have varied shelf lives, Piskura said. Blood is often broken up into its many components with each stored separately.

Pints of whole blood last from 21 to 35 days, while platelets -- the blood components that aid in clotting -- have a shelf life of only five days, she said. Red blood cells can last for 42 days, but frozen red blood cells can be stored for about 10 years. Frozen plasma can last for about one year.