Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 21, 2025
Expansion and Enrichment of Gamma-Delta γδ T Cells from Apheresed Human Product
Published on: September 22, 2021
COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor characteristics, product disposition, and comparison with standard apheresis
Baia Lasky1, Erin Goodhue Meyer1,2, Whitney R Steele1
1American Red Cross, Biomedical Services Headquarters, Washington, DC, USA.
Insights
COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donors were more often first-time and female donors compared to standard blood donors. CCP donations experienced higher rates of adverse reactions, deferrals, and product loss.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Transfusion Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) emerged as an early treatment option for COVID-19.
- Blood collection organizations faced challenges in recruiting and qualifying eligible CCP donors.
- Understanding CCP donor and product attributes is crucial for optimizing collection and utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and products.
- To compare CCP donors and products with standard apheresis (SA) and whole blood (WB) donors and products.
- To identify challenges and differences in CCP donation processes.
Main Methods:
- Data on CCP donors were collected from the American Red Cross qualification website and product collection records.
- Demographic and donation data from 2019 for SA and WB donors were used for comparison.
- Product disposition and reaction data for SA donations were also analyzed.
Main Results:
- 75% of CCP donors reported prior COVID-19 testing; 56.2% were first-time donors, significantly higher than SA (3.0%) and WB (30.6%) donors.
- CCP donor pool had 12% more female donors than SA donors, with underrepresentation of older (≥65) and younger (16-19) age groups.
- CCP donations showed higher deferral (10.2%) and Quantity Not Sufficient (QNS) rates (6.4%) compared to SA (8.2% and 1.1%).
- Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody reactivity was a major cause of CCP product loss (9.6% vs 1.3% for SA).
- Acute adverse events were more frequent in both first-time and repeat CCP donations than in SA donations.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors are more likely to be first-time and female donors compared to standard WB or SA donors.
- CCP donations are associated with increased rates of donor adverse reactions, deferrals, and product loss.
- These findings highlight specific considerations for optimizing CCP donor recruitment, qualification, and product management.
Background:
With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) offering an early treatment option for COVID-19, blood collectors needed to quickly overcome obstacles to recruiting and qualifying eligible donors. We provide attributes of CCP donors and products and compare to standard donors and products.
Study Design And Methods:
Information on CCP donors was gathered from the American Red Cross qualification website through product collection. Data from 2019 for standard plasma/platelet apheresis (SA) and whole blood (WB) donor demographics and SA donations including product disposition and reactions were used for comparison.
Results:
Of almost 59 000 donors registering on the website, 75% reported an existing COVID-19 diagnostic polymerase chain reaction or an antibody test. The majority (56.2%) of 10 231 CCP donors were first-time donors in contrast to SA or WB donor populations, which were only 3.0% and 30.6%, respectively, first-time donors. The number of female donors was 12% higher than SA donors. Older (≥ 65 years) and younger (16-19 years) were comparatively underrepresented in CCP donors. Deferral (10.2%) and Quantity Not Sufficient rates (6.4%) for presenting CCP donations were higher than SA (8.2% and 1.1%, respectively). Human leukocyte antigen antibody reactivity was the highest cause of product loss for CCP donations vs SA donations (9.6% vs 1.3%). Acute adverse events also occurred at a higher rate among both first-time and repeat CCP donations compared to SA.
Conclusions:
CCP donors were more likely to be first-time and female donors than WB or SA donors. CCP donations had a higher rate of donor adverse reactions, deferrals, and product loss than SA donations.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
02:45Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...