✖
Banner Health
Making healthcare easier
INSTALL
Open

Plasma Donation

Back To COVID-19

Former COVID-19 patients encouraged to donate plasma for current patients

Currently a nationwide expanded access program is in place designed to recruit plasma donors and use the valuable blood component as part of the treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients. A single plasma donation can be used for multiple patients. Those who have completely recovered from COVID-19 may have immune-boosting antibodies in their blood which could be used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration allows the transfusion of convalescent plasma as an investigational treatment. It’s one of the antibody treatments available for COVID-19 patients.

Current eligibility criteria for plasma donation include:

  • Prior diagnosis of COVID-19 OR positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
  • Fully recovered and symptom-free for at least 14 days with a confirmed negative nasopharyngeal swab result or 28 days without a confirmed negative
  • At least age 17 years old and weighing at least 110 pounds
  • In good health and feeling well

Please note that if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine or participated in a COVID-19 vaccine trial, you are currently not eligible to donate convalescent plasma.

Recovered COVID-19 patients can register directly with Vitalant or American Red Cross blood donation centers.