Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) will collect convalescent plasma from donors who have recovered from COVID-19, part of an experimental initiative to use the product to treat seriously ill patients.

By creating the only statewide registry of available patients, Oklahoma Blood Institute can ensure local patients receive the donated products and have the best possible chance at fighting the illness.

Donors are encouraged to sign up for Oklahoma’s registry at my.bio-linked.org. Bio-Linked allows users to submit confidential health and social information via a secure site and to list themselves as potential volunteers for medical research. Once qualified, plasma will be drawn at hospital partner sites, with each donor providing up to three therapeutic plasma doses.

“The Oklahoma State Medical Association is proud to have partnered with the Oklahoma Blood Institute to initiate this proactive program for our COVID-19 patients who may suffer from severe disease in the future,” said Larry A. Bookman, MD, president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

To provide convalescent plasma, donors must be eligible to donate blood and meet the criteria below:

• Prior diagnosis of COVID-19, documented by a laboratory test

• Present negative results for COVID-19, either from nasal swabs or a molecular (RNA or nucleic acid) diagnostic blood test

• Symptom-free for 14 days prior to donation

• If female, either no history of pregnancy or negative for HLA (tissue typing) antibodies