Versiti Seeks Plasma from Recovered COVID-19 Patients
Dr. Sarah Dilley of Community Health Network as she donates convalescent COVID-19 plasma. (photo courtesy: Versiti)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is looking for recovered COVID-19 patients to give the “gift of life,” by donating plasma.
Versiti says recovered COVID-19 plasma donations are filled with potentially life-saving antibodies.
The organization Thursday received its first donation from a recovered patient. It was Dr. Sarah Dilley, a gynecologist oncologist with Community Health Network. Versiti says she was diagnosed March 23 but has recovered.
The nonprofit blood bank has established a specific hotline to register other donors. The plasma will be used by Versiti’s hospital partners in Indiana to treat the most severely infected COVID-19 patients.
“One plasma donation can be divided to treat multiple patients,” says Dr. Dan Waxman, Versiti vice president.
Waxman says the treatment has been approved by the FDA as an emergency investigational new drug.
“The recovered donors must be proven to have had a COVID-19 diagnosis through a positive laboratory test result by a physician or lab,” said Waxman, who says donors must also be symptom-free for 28 days.
Potential recovered COVID-19 donors are asked to call a special hotline to register:
1-866-702-HOPE (866-702-4673)
To learn more, click here.
Editor’s note:
Dr. Waxman will be on this weekend’s edition of Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick.