NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER CALLS FOR DONATIONS FROM RECOVERED COVID-19 PATIENTS TO BUILD PUBLIC BANK OF CONVALESCENT PLASMA FOR NEW TREATMENT Friday, April 03, 2020

Antibodies may help those with severe infections

Donors can sign up at www.nybc.org/cpdonor

NEW YORK – New York Blood Center (NYBC) is calling for recovered COVID-19 patients to donate blood plasma to help treat other patients with advanced illness. In the treatment, known as convalescent plasma, the patient is transfused with the donor’s plasma with the goal of using the donor’s antibodies to help clear the virus more rapidly and help decrease the need for ICU beds and ventilators.

NYBC was the first blood center to collect blood plasma donations for this purpose after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the treatment on March 24th. NYBC is now increasing the nation’s supply of convalescent plasma by collecting donations from those who have recovered from COVID-19. NYBC will collect, process the plasma for infusion, and maintain a bank for hospitals to treat patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections.

“Our region was hit early by this pandemic and has sadly suffered from the highest number of infections in the nation. That means we now have the largest pool of recovered patients who can become donors and help those who are severely ill,” said Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, President and CEO, of New York Blood Center. “New York Blood Center is uniquely positioned to collect and maintain a robust public bank of convalescent plasma that can serve hospitals in our immediate area and throughout the country. We are asking all eligible donors to come forward so we can treat as many patients as possible.”

Donors must have tested positive for COVID-19 and be symptom-free for 14 days. One donation can be used to treat two to three patients struggling with severe cases of COVID-19. Interested donors can sign up at www.nybc.org/cpdonor.

NYBC is one of the largest independent blood centers in the world. Its network serves local communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Rhode Island. NYBC anticipates collecting convalescent plasma collections across these locations and the pandemic intensifies in locations across the US.

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About New York Blood Center: Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world. NYBC, along with its operating divisions Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 75 million people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD, VA), Missouri and Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBC and its operating divisions also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services to over 500 hospitals nationally, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which — among other milestones — developed a practical screening method for hepatitis B as well as a safe, effective and affordable vaccine, and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.

Interested in convalescent plasma?

Thank you for your interest in convalescent plasma donation and JOINING OUR FIGHT TO SAVE LIVES.

NYBC is now increasing the nation’s supply of convalescent plasma by collecting donations from those who have recovered from COVID-19. NYBC will collect, process the plasma for infusion, and maintain a bank for hospitals to treat patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections. We are asking all eligible donors to come forward so we can treat as many patients as possible.

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