Convalescent plasma operations during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Turkish Red Crescent’s experience

Abstract

After COVID-19 was first observed in Wuhan at the end of 2019, it spread all over the world and became a pandemic which has yet to end. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggested that convalescent plasma obtained from individuals who’ve recovered from COVID-19 might be helpful in treating COVID-19 infections, and this treatment has started to be applied in various countries. Convalescent plasma started to be used in Turkey to treat COVID-19 as per a decision of the Ministry of Health. The Turkish Red Crescent has been placed in charge of the convalescent plasma supply. In this scope, objectives for recruiting convalescent plasma donors have been set in motion. The supply of convalescent plasma required for COVID -19 treatment has been conducted in three main stages: managing the course of operations, determining donor selection criteria, and recruiting donors. For the course of operations, convalescent plasma donation centers have been founded, and a national reference guide has been prepared about convalescent plasma donations in addition to documents for providing standard practices in line with this guide. Convalescent plasma donor selection criteria have been defined, followed by convalescent plasma donor recruitment strategies. This study summarizes the Turkish Red Crescent’s experiences and the strategies used to encourage individuals to donate convalescent plasma.