Advances in Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma

The use of convalescent plasma (CP) collected from previously infected individuals to passively transfer antibodies so as to guard or treat humans dates back almost 100 years. Results from small case series during the prior MERS and SARS coronavirus outbreaks suggested that CP is safe and should confer clinical benefits, including faster viral clearance, 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.