Anne Arundel Medical Center is participating in two high priority, national Coronavirus (COVID-19) studies:
- Infection Prevention: for people who have had a high exposure to COVID-19, but are not yet infected.
- Early Treatment: people who have a documented COVID-19 infection and some symptoms of COVID-19, but are not sick enough to be in the hospital.
Since there are no recommended treatments for either situation, the purpose of the study is to determine if infused antibodies collected from a recovered COVID-19 patient (convalescent plasma) can either prevent a COVID-19 infection or prevent the disease from getting worse in those who have it.
What is convalescent plasma?
Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood. It contains antibodies that fight infections. People exposed to COVID-19 may benefit from receiving antibodies against COVID-19 virus from the plasma of those who have recovered from COVID-19.
Getting plasma with antibodies may help your body develop its own antibodies, which protects you from a COVID-19 infection.
What is the safety of receiving a plasma donation?
Convalescent plasma undergoes careful testing to ensure its safety and has proven useful for other infectious diseases in the past. Thousands of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have safely received the plasma.
How do I know if I qualify for the Infection Prevention Study?
You may qualify if you:
- Are 18 years of age or older.
- Have been in *close contact with an infected person within the past four days.
- Do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Can travel to a nearby facility for evaluation.
- Are currently COVID-19 negative. (You will receive a COVID-19 test to confirm.)
*Close contact with someone who has COVID-19 means you:
- Live in the same household.
- Have had direct physical contact (hugging, kissing).
- Are a health care worker and had an exposure without wearing recommended PPE.
- Provide care for someone with COVID-19 without recommended PPE.
How do I know if I qualify for the Early Treatment Study?
You may qualify if you:
- Are 18 years of age or older.
- Have had a positive COVID-19 test within the past six days.
- Are still having at least one COVID-19 symptom at enrollment.
- Are sick, but do not need hospitalization.
- Can travel to a nearby facility for enrollment and transfusion.
What is involved in receiving the plasma infusion?
You will receive one plasma infusion and then have five to seven follow-up visits over 90 days. All visits are at an outpatient office.
There is a narrow window to enroll based upon the date of your exposure (96 hours from the last exposure days) or first symptom/positive test (6 days).
I’m interested in participating. Who do I contact?
If you’re interested in participating, please email Research@aahs.org and a member of our team will contact you.
Modest compensation for your time is available for those who qualify to participate.
If you had COVID-19 and would like to donate plasma to future COVID-19 patients to help in their recovery, learn more about what you need to know to qualify.
