Plasma Donation and COVID-19 Clarification
July 20, 2020
There has been some confusion about donating blood to be tested for COVID-19 antibodies and then having to wait 56 days to donate plasma if the person does have COVID-19 antibodies. We spoke to a LifeSouth Blood Center representative to help get a clearer picture of the process for those interested in donating plasma.
For those who do not test positive for COVID-19 or are unsure if they had COVID-19 in the past, LifeSouth suggests donating whole blood to get an antibody result. If a person is found to have COVID-19 antibodies during the whole blood donation, they can donate plasma only 7 days later. The 56-day interval that has caused confusion is an interval for the time that must elapse between whole blood donations, not between a whole blood donation and a plasma donation.
For those who have had a positive antibody test or a positive COVID-19 test, the whole blood donation can be bypassed, and that person can be scheduled for a plasma donation. However, a positive COVID-19 test does not mean you will definitely produce antibodies. We have seen a few patients who tested positive for COVID-19, but then had a negative antibody test. People who donate plasma can be assured, however, that their plasma will be used regardless of whether COVID-19 antibodies are present.
Lastly, donors must be symptom-free for 14 days and fully recovered from COVID-19 prior to donating plasma or whole blood. Appointments are required for plasma donation due to the limited number of instruments on hand to complete this procedure. While walk-ins for whole blood donations are allowed, LifeSouth recommends that an appointment be made. Appointments can be made online at lifesouth.org or by calling LifeSouth at 334-705-0884.
COD10 AssetID
242936
External ID
728
Integration Source
COD10
Integration Source URL
https://www.eastalabamahealth.org/news-and-media/plasma-donation-and-covid-19-clarification
