Mercy is using new methods to reach out to its patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 to ask them to consider becoming plasma donors.
The liquid portion of blood recovered from those patients, known as convalescent plasma, may contain antibodies, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Those antibodies may help others as they’re fighting the virus.
According to a news release, Mercy is sending messages to patients using the MyMercy app and online patient portal. Before, the healthcare system was calling recovered patients to see if they would be willing to donate plasma. Donors need to be fully recovered for 28 days before donating.
Anyone who had COVID-19 may donate convalescent plasma at the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.
The executive director of the CBCO, Anthony Roberts, said that the need for convalescent plasma in their service area has quadrupled since August.
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