Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research

COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma

COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma:
The use of convalescent plasma (CP) collected from the previously infected individuals to passively transfer antibodies as to guard or treat human’s dates back almost 100 years. Results from small cases series during the prior SARS and MERS coronavirus outbreaks suggested that the Convalescent Plasma is safe and should confer clinical benefits, including faster viral approval, particularly when administered early within the disease course1. The overwhelming majority of patients who get over COVID-19 illness develop circulating antibodies to varied SARS-CoV-2 proteins 2-3 weeks following infection, which are detectable by ELISA or other quantitative assays and sometimes correlate with the presence of neutralizing antibodies.

Donations can occur as frequently as weekly for several months before antibody titers begin decreasing. Allowed donation frequency varies between blood centers. Listed below are some sites for referral of potential donors:

• AABB: Information about convalescent plasma donation and a feature that helps potential donors locate AABB-accredited donation sites.
• FDA Donate COVID-19 Plasma: Lists places to donate convalescent plasma for transfusion or for manufacturing of hyper immune globulin
• National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project