FDA urges COVID-19 survivors to donate plasma for blood-related therapies

The Food and Drug Administration is urging people who have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, to donate plasma for blood-related therapies to help others fight against the respiratory infection.

Convalescent plasma is an antibody-rich product made from blood donated by COVID-19 survivors and has the potential to lessen the severity and shorten the length of illness caused by the coronavirus, the FDA said Thursday, citing limited data that has emerged from China.

“It is important that we evaluate this potential therapy in the context of clinical trials, through expanded access, as well as facilitate emergency access for individual patients, as appropriate,” the federal agency said.

More than 1,200 sites, 1,400 physicians and 800 patients nationwide have enrolled in a convalescent plasma program led by the Mayo Clinic. So far, 200 patients have undergone a transfusion.

There are a number of clinical trials that are studying the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma, and the FDA has also granted multiple single-patient emergency investigational new drug applications.

“As this work moves forward, the key to ensuring the availability of convalescent plasma to those in greatest need is getting recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma,” the FDA said.

Recovered COVID-19 patients can visit the FDA’s “Donate COVID-19 Plasma” webpage to find local blood or plasma collection centers. The American Red Cross also has a website for interested donors: www.redcross.org/plasma4covid.

One donation could possibly help up to four patients with COVID-19, according to the FDA. Convalescent plasma can also be used to manufacture hyperimmune globulin, which could also be used to treat patients who are infected with the coronavirus.

People who have fully recovered from COVID-19 for at least two weeks are eligible to schedule an appointment through their local blood or plasma collection center.