The 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 healthcare 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 review the information at the link and fill out the Potential Donor form HERE. A Red Cross representative will follow up with prospective candidates to confirm eligibility.
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It is NOT just the red cross. If you are a physician or hospital representative ytour first call should be to the blood enter that supplies your institution, whether it is the red cross (about 40% of the US blood supply) or an independent center (about 60% of the US blood supply). That will be faster and will more efficiently leverage local efforts.