The COVID crisis has everyone looking for opportunities to “make a difference” or “take control” or “help someone.” For patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered, one way to make an immediate impact is through Convalescent Plasma Donation.
The American Red Cross is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 and may be able to donate plasma to help current patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections, or those judged by a health care provider to be at high risk of progression to severe or life-threatening disease.
People who have fully recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus. This convalescent plasma is being evaluated as treatment for patients seriously ill with COVID-19. Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines were available yet. The Red Cross has been asked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help identify prospective donors and manage the distribution of these products to hospitals treating patients in need.
If you’re fully recovered from a verified coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, please go to www.redcrossblood.org and click on “potential donor and fully recovered from COVID” to register.
The Red Cross website describes all of the safety precautions they have in place to assure that plasma donation is safe.
