As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, there is a concurrent need for plasma donations to treat the critically ill. Director of Marketing and Public Relations at LifeServe Blood Center, Danielle West, says they serve the state of Iowa as well as parts of South Dakota and Nebraska, but the demand for convalescent plasma treatments they have seen in our area, RMCC Region 1, has grown rapidly.
West says right now, this is the go-to treatment method for those patients with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms.
She says with that predicted doubling in need within the next two weeks, more than 1,000 units will be requested. However, the center only has about 600 or 700 units in inventory at any given time. And, she says they expect the need to be here for at least the next six months. West has spoken directly with patients who have been given the plasma transfusions.
All blood donors in Iowa are being tested for the presence of COVID antibodies as LifeServe searches for donors. West says the antibodies come from people who have had COVID-19, whether they were aware of it or not. At the beginning of the pandemic, about one percent of donors per week had enough antibodies to make a donation. With this surge, they are reporting about six to seven percent of weekly donors have enough to be eligible. She adds, time is of the essence.
During the recent Carroll Dracula Drive in October, there were about 104 people eligible to donate blood and 14 percent of those had the antibodies.
Donors must be at least 14 days symptom free, weigh at least 120 pounds and meet all other blood donation requirements. She says one donation of plasma can be split into four units to help four patients. If the antibodies are present, donors whose last whole blood donation was 14 days or more prior or 28 days or more after a double red donation can give four times in an eight-week timeframe before having to take 28 days off. The plasma can be frozen and used at a later date. West adds their need extends beyond plasma donations. Those who test and don’t have the antibodies can help with the shortage of blood donations hospitals are seeing; a need that tends to rise over the holiday season. Links for more information and details on how to schedule a donation can be found below.
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To donate:
- You can schedule a testing or donation time a blood drive or LifeServe center near you by filling out a form at https://www.lifeservebloodcenter.org/donate/recovered-covid-19-patient-plasma-donation/
- More details are available at the website: https://www.lifeservebloodcenter.org
- Or call: 800-287-4903
