


The plasma is isolated and channeled out into a special bag, and red blood cells and other parts of the blood are returned to you through the same needle.Ībsolutely. Blood flows through a single needle placed in an arm vein, into a machine that contains a sterile, disposable plastic kit.

Plasmapheresis is the standard procedure by which plasma is separated from whole blood and collected. Many large blood centers are beginning to collect plasma across the United States to address the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This approach has been tried in a very small number of people in early studies, and some of them improved with this treatment. Is Convalescent Plasma Treatment Proven to Work?Īlthough promising, convalescent plasma has not yet been proven to always help as a treatment for COVID-19. Convalescent plasma may be a treatment option for patients with COVID-19. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes after you have had an infection, that can neutralize or kill the virus and help you to recover. This plasma may contain antibodies against the virus. Convalescent plasma means plasma that comes from people who have recovered from an infection, like the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
