The New Zealand Blood Service today is starting to contact recovered Covid-19 patients about donating their plasma to help others affected by the virus.
Dr Sarah Morley, the service’s chief medical officer, said it was working with regional public health services to speak to patients classified as recovered who were eligible to donate.
The organisation said the idea of collecting plasma containing antibodies to an infection isn’t a new concept.
The treatment is known as convalescent plasma, and the antibodies can help others fight off infection. Its use dates back to the 1920s and had recently been used against other illnesses like SARS and H1N1 influenza.
“Recent international studies have indicated that patients with the virus may respond well to convalescent plasma,” Dr Morley said.
“The plasma we collect will be frozen and ready for use by hospitals for any future patients that need it.”
Dr Morley said they wanted to reassure people its donor centres were still “extremely safe places to visit”.
“A recovered patient, as classified by the Ministry of Health, poses no potential risk to the wider community and they are no longer infectious,” she said.
“Convalescent donors must have had a positive Covid-19 test at diagnosis and 28 days without a fever before donating.
“If the donor had no fever as part of their symptoms then the criteria used will be either clearance from their Regional Public Service for 14 days before donating, or be 28 days since their diagnosis.
“The criteria we will use is whichever is the longer of the two criteria.”
She said the blood service would be booking the appointments for the recovered patients and asked people to wait to be contacted. It was collecting donations at its Epsom, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch centres.
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