Mercy Health joins convalescent plasma program for treatment of COVID-19

YOUNGSTOWN — Mercy Health announced today (April 21) that it has joined the Food and Drug Administration's national expanded access program for convalescent plasma as a treatment protocol for COVID-19.

Convalescent plasma is collected from individuals who have recovered from the virus, and it is administered to the patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of progression to a severe or life-threatening stage of the disease. Convalescent plasma has been safely collected and used at various times over the past century to treat polio, measles, hepatitis B, influenza, Ebola and other pathogens.

"In our ongoing effort to care for our communities, Mercy Health is facilitating access to investigational convalescent plasma through participation in the national expanded access treatment protocol," Dr. James Kravec, chief clinical officer, said in a news release. "We have established a network of participating blood suppliers that will work at the local level to supply hospitals with convalescent plasma. The key to the success of this program is the donor population."

Qualifying donors are people who have had COVID-19 and are symptom-free for 28 days or longer. They can donate blood through their local American Red Cross Blood donation center or at other participating blood donation centers.

Before donated blood can be used, it is tested for safety. Then it goes through a process to separate the blood cells so that all that is left is the plasma with the antibodies. A single plasma donation has the potential to help up to four patients with COVID-19.

For more information or to find a list of local blood donation centers participating in the expanded access investigative convalescent plasma program, go to mercy.com or call 888-700-9011.

This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Mercy Health joins convalescent plasma program for treatment of COVID-19."