Share the Fight
Invite your friends to join the fight against COVID-19. Their plasma could help save lives.
Your Plasma Could Save Lives
If you've recovered from COVID-19, donating your plasma could help others.
The Fight Is In Us is a national coalition that lets people who have recently recovered from COVID-19 become heroes by donating blood plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood. It’s mostly water that also contains antibodies, which keep your body working well and fighting off deadly diseases.
Calling All Heroes
Recovering from COVID-19 makes you unique. Donating your plasma makes you a hero.
If you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19, the plasma in your blood could help save lives. Be a hero and donate your plasma today.
Once your eligibility is confirmed, you can visit a donor center where trained staff will help you through the donation process.
If you've recovered from COVID-19, you now have antibodies in your blood that could help others fight the virus. Please donate your COVID-19 plasma today, and help save lives.
VADM Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, U.S. Surgeon General
If you've recovered from COVID-19, your plasma has critical antibodies that could help others fight the virus and be used to produce monoclonal antibodies. Be a hero and donate today.
Dr. Eliseo Pèrez-Stable, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the NIH
Antibodies, they're sort of like the ammunition against infections. We are looking for people who have antibodies ... Donate as soon as (you) can.
Dr. Susan Rossmann, Chief Medical Officer, The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
Spread the Word
If you know someone who has recently recovered from COVID-19 and think they could be a hero too, let them know about us!
We Need Heroes in
Houston.
If you’ve recovered from COVID-19, your plasma could help save lives today.
287,753
COVID-19 cases in Harris County
Statistical data provided by
Johns Hopkins University.
Case data last updated
01/19/2021
Once she (my daughter-in-law) received plasma, I saw the life back in her the next day ... If you're able to donate your plasma, it helps in such great ways
Angie P., Katy, TX
If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are now recovered you can donate your plasma which can help save a life.
Dr. Umair Shah, Houston, TX
The Power of Plasma
Plasma is so useful because it can be safely and painlessly donated by the healthy in order to help the sick. The process has been used for over one hundred years to save lives. Blood plasma is also easily replaced by your body.
If you have recently recovered from COVID-19, then your plasma includes antibodies that could help others fight the virus.
What We Need Donors to Do
1
ELIGIBILITY
You must have had COVID-19 documented by a laboratory test, an antibody test, or a clinical diagnosis and meet other donor criteria. You must also be symptom-free for at least 14 days prior to visiting a donor center.
2
REGISTRATION
You will be asked to show proof of identification and share your contact information when you arrive at the donor center. Some centers may have additional registration requirements. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
3
SCREENING
You must pass a pre-donation screening at every visit, including a brief exam to check your body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate. The goal of this screening is to make sure that the donation is safe for both you and the recipients of the final product.
4
DONATION PROCESS
Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will move to a donation area where you will rest on a donor bed while connected to an automated machine that will collect your plasma. You will be carefully monitored by staff throughout the donation process. Your donor bed will be socially distanced at least six feet from other donors and/or personal protective equipment will be provided.
5
PLASMA COLLECTION
Blood plasma is collected through an automated process that separates plasma from other blood components, then returns your red blood cells and platelets to you. This process continues until a target amount of plasma has been collected.
A single plasma donation has the power to save lives.
Questions and Answers
PLANNING FOR YOUR DONATION
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Does plasma donation reduce my antibody levels?
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How should I prepare for my donation?
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What precautions are blood and plasma donor centers taking to ensure the safety of donors?
- Pre-entry screening
- Following social distancing guidelines
- Enhanced personal protective equipment used by staff
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures
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Where can I donate in the United States?
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Where can I donate in Europe?
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Can I donate more than once?
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I have young children. Can I bring them with me?
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Do I need to change my diet?
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What do I need to bring with me to the blood and plasma donor center?
- A valid government-issued identification (Example: Driver's License, Military ID, etc.)
- Proof of social security number (Example: Social Security Card)
- If you are a resident of Mexico, please also provide a valid Border Crossing Card (BCC) or US Visa and government-issued document/identification indicating the CURP (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion) number
- Proof of local residency (Example: Piece of mail postmarked in the past 30 days, current lease, utility bill, etc.)
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Do I need to tell my insurance company that I am donating?
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How can I get to and from the donor center?
Donating plasma will not reduce your antibody level, nor weaken your immune system. Donating plasma is sharing your antibodies, not giving them away.
Because antibody levels decrease naturally over time we encourage you to donate as early as you are eligible to do so, and as many times as allowed by your donor center.
Donating blood plasma is similar to giving blood. If you can tolerate donating blood, or giving blood during medical appointments, you should be comfortable donating blood plasma. Highly trained staff will take great care to minimize any possible discomfort.
In rare occasions, some donors might feel faint or weak. Personnel at the donor center are trained to recognize and deal with any adverse event that might occur. Eating a healthy meal and drinking plenty of water before and after your donation will help you feel well after your donation. If you have a history of feeling faint at the sight of blood, please let the donor center staff know.
Thousands of people safely donate plasma every day. The collection process uses sterile tubing and supplies for each donation. The tubing and supplies are discarded after each collection and are never reused. Blood does not come in contact with the collection machine.
These are a few of the extra precautions that donor centers are taking:
There are hundreds of FDA licensed donor centers across the United States. Find the nearest donor centers, sorted by distance from you.
The CoVIg Plasma Alliance is able to accept potential donors at plasma donor centers in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary. Find your nearest plasma donor center and select your country from the dropdown menu at the top. Individuals in Europe who have recovered from COVID-19 and are interested in donating plasma can also contact their local blood donor center to inquire about making a donation appointment.
Individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19 and are willing to donate their blood plasma are encouraged to donate as many times as allowed by the donor center. Donor centers may have additional guidelines.
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, donors are asked to visit blood and plasma donor centers without accompanying guests or children. This is for the health and safety of you and your loved ones as well as other donors and staff.
It is recommended that you eat a light but healthy meal three hours before your donation. This means a meal that is high in protein (such as eggs, fish, or nuts), rich in iron (such as tuna, lean red meat, nuts, or beans), and low in fat (fatty or fried foods can interfere with laboratory testing). Since blood plasma is 90% water, you should also be well-hydrated, so drink plenty of water, juice, or other fluids and reduce your caffeine intake the day before your donation. Please do not drink any alcohol the night before or the day of your donation.
You must have had COVID-19 documented by a laboratory test, an antibody test, or clinical diagnosis and be symptom-free for at least 14 days prior to donation. You must also present one of the following:
Some donor centers may have additional requirements. Call ahead to find out if you also need:
You do not need to inform your insurance provider. This is not a medical procedure and you will not be charged for your donation.
Uber Health is providing free, roundtrip Uber rides to and from the donor centers for those who are eligible to donate. You will have an opportunity to indicate if you need a roundtrip Uber ride when you search for the nearest donor centers, sorted by distance from you, by clicking here.
UNDERSTANDING DONATION ELIGIBILITY
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Why do you need to know if I am at least 18 years old?
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Why do you need to know that I weigh at least 110 pounds?
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Why do you need to know if I have ever had a confirmed positive test for HIV, or Hepatitis B or C?
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Can I donate if I am pregnant? Can I donate if I recently gave birth?
Some centers set 16 years as the minimum age for donors, and some 18 years. Based on your answer, we surface the correct list of donor centers. If you are under the age of 18, parental consent may be required for blood collection.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") requires that this question be asked as the FDA requires donors to weigh at least 110 pounds.
The FDA requires that these questions be asked. A person who has tested positive for HIV is not eligible to donate. Never having had a positive test for Hepatitis B or C is also required by the FDA for donation at a plasma donor center. Your donated plasma will also be tested for transfusion-transmissible diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Your responses to these question are used to determine donation eligibility.
A person who is currently pregnant is not eligible to donate for their safety. For six weeks after giving birth, a person is not eligible to donate at blood donor centers where their plasma will be used for transfusion. A person's blood will be tested for HLA antibodies, commonly seen after childbirth, which present no problems to the donor but pose a risk to patients receiving plasma transfusions. Additionally, for six months after giving birth, a person is not eligible to donate at a plasma donor center. Since their plasma is going to undergo additional manufacturing steps, they will not be tested for HLA antibodies. If you have any questions about eligibility, it is recommended that you call your local donor center.
ABOUT THE DATA COLLECTED
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What is the role of Microsoft in the campaign?
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How will the data I enter be used?
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Is any personally identifiable information ("PII") and/or protected health information ("PHI") collected or shared by MITRE?
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Will MITRE sell my data?
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Who should I contact if I have questions?
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What is the role of Bio-Linked in the campaign?
Microsoft developed the donor recruitment website and self-qualification tool. The website and tool are hosted by The MITRE Corporation ("MITRE"), a not-for-profit organization that operates and manages federally funded research and development centers.
MITRE will store the answers you provide and will share this non-personally identifiable data in an aggregated form with "The Fight Is In Us" campaign only to improve the COVID-19 plasma donation program. MITRE may also share aggregate findings with the public through journal publications, collaborations with other scientists, or postings to track developments in the fight against COVID-19.
No, PII and PHI are not collected or shared by MITRE.
No, MITRE will not sell your data.
For questions about donation, please contact 877-PLASMA9 (877-752-7629). For press or partnership inquiries please contact info@thefightisinus.info.
Bio-Linked™ is a secure, online registry that allows individuals to volunteer a few details of their recent infection with COVID-19 so that they can be identified as potential donors of COVID Convalescent Plasma (CCP). It allows users to be linked with healthcare organizations in their local area that collect this type of blood donation, which is one of the few treatment options currently showing promise in caring for patients severely ill with the new coronavirus. CCP is also being sought to develop a drug (“hyperimmune globulin”) that may help COVID-19 patients in the near future. Registrants will be contacted by their chosen blood collection facility to discuss their eligibility to give CCP and to schedule appointments to donate. Participation is entirely voluntarily at each step in the process from registration through qualification and on to collection. Providing a streamlined process for recovered patients to give CCP, Bio-Linked speeds therapy to ill patients and helps assure sufficient CCP is available to all who may need it.
