Lee Health is participating in Mayo Clinic’s national COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Study. Patients admitted to any Lee Health hospital with a confirmed infection may qualify to enroll. But, the first step is to collect plasma from people who have recovered from the disease.
Convalescent plasma refers to blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from COVID-19 that is then used to treat others with advanced illness.
Lee Health infectious disease doctor Doug Brust said there are two parts to the study.
“The clinical trial itself is giving the plasma to people. The non-clinical trial part is actually obtaining the plasma. So what we need to do is find people that have recovered from COVID-19 that had a positive test, and now they’re better. And we’re looking for them to come donate blood so we can obtain plasma from that.”
Potential donors will be screened by clinical personnel to make sure they are appropriate to donate blood that will be processed to make COVID-19 convalescent plasma.
To volunteer, email COVID.plasma@LeeHealth.org or call 239-343-2332. (Email preferred.)
