The FDA is facilitating emergency access to convalescent plasma (CCP) from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 for investigational use in patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections. CCP must be collected from someone who has recovered from COVID-19 infection.

In support of this effort, the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) recently launched a new website as an educational resource to inform the public, blood collectors, and clinicians about COVID-19 CCP. The new website, COVIDplasma.org, provides information to connect people who have recovered from COVID-19 to AABB-accredited blood centers so that they can potentially donate convalescent plasma to help improve the status of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

The new website includes information about whether an individual is eligible to donate his or her plasma to be used as an experimental therapy for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. It also includes a link to AABB’s blood bank locator, a tool to help identify a nearby blood center or hospital blood collector. To assist facilities in the collection of CCP, AABB has also released a protocol. Individuals interested in donating COVID-19 convalescent plasma should reach out to a nearby blood collector to learn whether it is being collected at that facility. 

Find more information at: COVIDplasma.org