Southern Illinois Healthcare is participating in a study on treating COVID-19 with convalescent plasma.
SIH is one of more than 2,000 sites participating in the study led by the Mayo Clinic. In order to be enrolled in the study, patients must be hospitalized with COVID-19. The study hopes to determine whether plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can be used to help severely ill patients recover or help prevent moderately ill patients from becoming sicker.
While several drugs have been investigated for use against COVID-19, there is no proven treatment for the disease so far.
Dr. Sarah Altamimi is an infectious disease physician with SIH. She says the study will rely on participation from recovered COVID-19 patients who donate plasma.
“Donors may donate 14 to 27 days after they recovered, if they have a negative nasopharyngeal swab or blood molecular assay, which is an antibody test,” she said.
The FDA says one plasma donation can be used to treat up to four patients. In order to donate, patients must be at least 17 years old and symptom free for at least 14 days.
Plasma donation is being handled by the Red Cross. People who have recovered from COVID-19 who are interested in donating can register on the Red Cross website and will be contacted for scheduling.
