As the search for treatments for the coronavirus continue, a Florida blood bank is now on the front lines, with emergency approval from the FDA to move forward with collecting plasma that could help.

OneBlood is one of the largest blood centers in the country, serving about 250 hospitals in the Southeast. Now, its about to take the national stage, with approval to begin collecting convalescent plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients.  

“People who have had coronavirus have created antibodies to the virus and those antibodies remain in the plasma portion of their blood,” said Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Susan Forbes.  “By transfusing their plasma into a patient still fighting the virus, it can help boost their immune system and help them potentially recover.”

Forbes said OneBlood already has the technology in place,  The plasma will be collected the same way its done now.  The next step will be identifying people who have recovered from Covid-19 and are willing to donate. 

“Convalescent plasma is something that has been around for actually 120 years.  It’s been used in the medical field to treat other types of viruses. Be it polio, chicken pox, measles, SARS, even ebola,” Forbes said. “This is an unprecedented moment in the world and we are moving at lightning speed to put it all in place.” 

OneBlood is working with the Florida Department of Health to find donors. In addition to the regular criteria potential donors must meet, those recovered from COVID-19 will have to prove it with documentation of a positive lab test and a subsequent negative lab test. 

That person must then be 14 days out from that negative test in order to donate.