NEW ORLEANS — Doctors at LSU Health New Orleans have put out a call for plasma donations from people who had the coronavirus disease and have recovered.
“We are looking for donors who have recovered from COVID-19 to provide blood plasma for potential use as therapy in patients with severe and life-threatening COVID-19 at University Medical Center,” says Yussef Bennani, MD, Assistant Professor in the Section of Infectious Diseases at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine.
The effort is part of a protocol developed by the Mayo Clinic to expand access to convalescent plasma therapy and to evaluate its safety.
Potential donors must meet the following criteria:
- Must have a previously confirmed COVID-19 test.
- Not having any symptoms for at least 28 days
- Not showing symptoms for 14 days and have a confirmed negative repeat COVID-19 test. (Repeat testing is available by appointment)
Anyone interested in donating plasma should contact Sharon Weiser at the LSU Health New Orleans Infectious Disease Research Office by calling (504) 568-7740 or email sweise@lsuhsc.edu
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton recently made headlines after he donated plasma. Payton, who recently recovered from the disease, rolled up his sleeve to donate in hopes that it can help others currently battling the virus.
“Until there’s a vaccine for it, this allows us to do something we think can help,” Payton said.
Although there is currently no approved treatment for COVID-19, the clinical benefit of the plasma is still unknown. Plasma therapy has been floated as an investigational treatment that takes antibodies from plasma in people who have recovered from the disease and giving them to patients in need.
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