Convalescent plasma or that bag of frozen yellow liquid you see in hospitals may not look like much, but they hold special power that may help patients battling a disease, including COVID-19.
Convalescent plasma is plasma filtered from the blood of a person that has recovered from a disease, such as COVID-19. It is then transferred to another person in hopes of receiving antibodies that will help battle the disease.
While this is a very noble and promising idea, there are still not enough studies showing that it effectively treats people with COVID-19. Still, it might be worth exploring how it might actually be of help.
Helping Others Through Plasma Donations
Anyone that donated their plasma, something from their own body, hopes to help another person. That same hope has also inspired other donors to make their donations and hope to save lives. That has been going on for years, even from the past epidemics of hundred years ago.
Doctors who have infused plasma onto patients have also hoped that its disease-fighting antibodies will be transferred to the sick person in dire need of help. Still, this kind of hope isn’t enough to fight a new and deadly virus on a scale as massive as a pandemic.
So, researchers and physicians worldwide have launched studies into convalescent plasma and what it can do. They looked for scientific answers about the power it may hold against COVID-19.
Research could take convalescent plasma from something that helps people fight off dangerous infections into something that may help hundreds to thousands of patients.
The Need for COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Donors
If you’re a recovered COVID-19 patient, the best time to give convalescent plasma is as early as after your symptoms are gone. That is because that is the time when your antibody levels are as high as they can get, but your blood is no longer circulating the virus.
You should have fully recovered from any COVID-19 symptoms and have had a confirmed test for the virus before you can give plasma. Donors can also donate to centers every 28 days. Plasma generally lasts for at least a year when in freezers, so donating ahead of time lets centers prepare for the coming fall and winter.
If you’ve never tested for COVID-19, you may still check if your antibodies are against the virus by donating whole blood or platelets through organizations and centers. Doing that also means you are contributing to research on how antibody levels change over time after someone recovers when it’s compared to yours.
Conclusion
It would be beneficial to have all the answers we needed about convalescent plasma during the COVID-19 pandemic in the most scientific way possible. That way, we could be ready for the next pandemic, if ever another one happens in the near or far future.
The idea of passive immunity through convalescent plasma transfusion has existed for more than a century. Historical medical data can also prove that it existed even before. Still, the data available isn’t at the level of evidence we need now.
More viruses will likely come after COVID-19, so preparation now and finding what we can about the benefits of convalescent plasma transfusion can prepare us for the next one.
thplasma accepts blood plasma donations. We are committed to saving lives while compensating you for the help and the donation you give. We are a local business, guided by genuine care for our donors and employees, so every contribution you make counts.
We guarantee a friendly, efficient, and safe plasma donation experience to every donor that walks into our center. If you want to make a plasma donation in New Jersey, get in touch with us today!