NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is looking for former coronavirus hospital patients and is urging them to donate plasma as part of a major trial.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or its antibodies, or had symptoms of the virus, you may be able to donate plasma to help treat coronavirus patients.
Not everyone will be able to donate. The information on this page will help you to decide whether or not to volunteer as a donor.
Who is needed?
1. Men and women who have had COVID-19 – either confirmed by virus test or antibody test. They also need men who have had symptoms only (results show women without confirmed cases do not have sufficient antibodies).
2. People with large blood volumes – this is based on your height and weight. They will contact you about this.
3. Donors aged over 17 in good health – you need to have recovered from the virus and meet the health and travel eligibility requirements. More about this below.
Who has the highest antibodies?
They can see that the highest antibody donations are coming from donors who are:
- Male – men typically have higher antibody levels than women
- Over 35 – a greater percentage of the plasma from this age group is suitable for clinical trials
- Severely affected by COVID-19 – the highest antibody plasma has come from donors who were hospitalised
- Asian – high numbers of donors from Asian communities have plasma suitable for treating others
Full details – https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/covid-19-research/plasma-donors/who-can-donate-plasma/
