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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on source plasma donations
Mischa L Covington1, Chesinta Voma2, Sean R Stowell1,2
1Department of Pathology, Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Insights
COVID-19 significantly reduced source plasma donations, impacting critical plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs). Shortages persisted post-pandemic due to manufacturing delays, highlighting long-term supply chain vulnerabilities.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare research
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare services, including blood donations.
- The specific impact on source plasma donation, vital for plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs), was unclear.
- PDMP manufacturing can take up to a year, potentially masking donation shortages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on source plasma donations.
- To assess the duration of these shortages and their implications for PDMP availability.
- To identify vulnerabilities in the plasma supply chain.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of source plasma donation data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Comparison of donation levels pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and in recovery phases.
- Correlation of donation trends with PDMP production timelines.
Main Results:
- Source plasma donations were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Donation shortages persisted until the latter half of 2022.
- Despite recovering donation levels, PDMP shortages are expected to continue due to manufacturing lead times.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic created significant, lasting disruptions in source plasma donation.
- The lengthy manufacturing process for PDMPs means shortages will persist despite improved donation rates.
- The study underscores inherent vulnerabilities in plasma sourcing, posing future supply risks.
Abstract:
While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of healthcare, including routine blood donations, the impact of COVID-19 on the donation of source plasma critical to many aspects of patient care, including apheresis procedures, has been more difficult to define. As production of plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs) can take up to a year, shortages in source plasma donations may not be immediately appreciated. Given current shortages in PDMPs, in particular albumin, we examined the impact of COVID-19 on source plasma donations. Our data demonstrate that source plasma donations were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and that these shortages remained until the latter half of 2022. Given the time delay in PDMP manufacturing, these results suggest that while source plasma donation levels are returning to pre-pandemic levels, shortages in PDMPs may not be quickly overcome. These results also highlight the unique vulnerabilities in plasma sourcing that may continue to manifest as PDMP shortages for years to come.
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