KNOXVILLE, TN (WLAF) – MEDIC Regional Blood Center provides an update through today.  

Reminder: Blood donation is a critical health care activity.

Convalescent Plasma:

  • Plasma:
    • Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood. When you donate whole blood, plasma and red cells are separated and collected for transfusions.
    • The entire process takes about 25 minutes longer than a regular whole blood donation and is performed using the same process as a double red donation.
    • The only difference is instead of keeping red cells and returning plasma to the donor; the machine collects plasma and returns red blood cells to the donor.
    • Generally, plasma helps trauma patients, burn victims, cancer patients, and countless others.
  • CP Definition: Convalescent (meaning recovering from an illness) plasma treatment is the transfusion of plasma from someone who has recovered from an infection to someone suffering from it, in the hopes that the passive transfer of antibodies will help the patient fight off the infection.
  • An individual must have had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis via confirmed lab test.
  • MEDIC will not be collecting convalescent plasma from community members who may have had a previous infection and believe that they had COVID-19 earlier this year or late last year.
  • There is no blood center testing that MEDIC can do to confirm immunity to COVID-19 from an unknown past infection.
  • Right now, there simply aren’t a lot of COVID-19 patients verified through testing, who have recovered symptom free, for at least 28 days prior to donation, who would qualify in East Tennessee.
  • MEDIC is not a healthcare provider and thus does not provide a coronavirus test nor do we test for COVID-19 antibodies.

FDA Updates:

  • The FDA reviewed recently completed studies and epidemiologic data and concluded that current policies for specific donor eligibility rules could be modified without compromising the safety of the blood supply.
  • MEDIC is carefully evaluating options.
  • The process to change our standard operating procedures and software will take time to implement.
  • MEDIC will continue to prioritize the safety of our donors and the blood supply.

  MEDIC Action Steps:

  • Donors at the four donor centers will be seen by appointment only until further notice.
  • As guidelines change and to continue to comply with social distancing guidelines, we are temporarily suspending mobile bus drives until further notice.
  • Schedule an Appointment: Online at www.medicblood.org -> Click the donate tab and then on the center in which you’d like to donate. There is a link that to “click here” to schedule your appointment or call 865-524-3074.
  • Masks for Collections Staff: As blood is an essential resource for the healthcare system, and in an abundance of caution to protect the health and wellness of both our donors and collections staff, we have implemented the use of N95 masks for our collections staff so that we can continue to collect blood through the COVID-19 situation
  • Wellness Check-In: Staff, donors and visitors continue to undergo a daily check-in upon arrival at any facility or mobile drive.
    • The check-in includes a temperature check.
    • Temperature must be 99.5 degrees or less.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 04/07/2020-4PM)

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