The antibodies present in convalescent plasma are proteins that may help critically ill patients fight the COVID-19 infection.

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SunCoast Blood Centers, the only local nonprofit provider of blood products for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center — plus hospitals in Charlotte and Desoto counties — is ready to collect convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19, it stated in a news release

Convalescent plasma can be transfused to people with life-threatening coronavirus infection. The antibodies present in convalescent plasma are proteins that may help critically ill patients fight the COVID-19 infection. Transfusing the convalescent plasma that contains the antibodies into a person still fighting the virus can provide a boost to the patient’s immune system and potentially help them recover. Early indications are promising for this to be an effective treatment in the most critical cases of COVID-19 infections, the release stated.

SunCoast Blood Centers is working with the FDA and local health organizations to coordinate the collection and use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma. In a new mandate from the FDA, people who believe that they had COVID-19 but were not tested for the virus may also be eligible to donate convalescent plasma. SunCoast will run a serological test on these potential donors to determine if they had the virus. If the test shows that the individual did have COVID19, they will be eligible to donate convalescent plasma.

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As the only nonprofit blood center serving the community, SunCoast has the technology necessary to be able to collect, test and process plasma from donors and provide to community hospitals if requested. Potential donors can contact SunCoast for more information and must schedule an appointment by calling 866-972-5663 or emailing covid19@suncoastblood.org.

Potential donors need to meet all the usual screening criteria for blood donation, plus pass additional FDA criteria, including:

• Have a prior diagnosis of COVID-19 documented by a laboratory test or doctor’s note.

Those who think they had COVID-19 but were not tested may still be eligible to donate convalescent plasma.

• Must have complete resolution of symptoms.

• Meet current blood donation protocols.

• Must schedule an appointment.

SunCoast Blood Centers locations:

• Lakewood Ranch, Donor Center and Administrative Offices, 3025 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard Unit 111, Bradenton

• Sarasota, 1760 Mound Street, Sarasota;

• Bradenton, Bayshore Shopping Center, 6026 14th Street W., Bradenton;

• Venice, Bird Bay Plaza, 539 U.S. 41 Bypass, North Venice.