By: F Liz Lavender
Plasma centers have become a popular way for individuals to give back to their communities, while also being financially compensated for their donations. Plasma donors can be given anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on their weight, as well as how many times they have donated.
The new plasma centers were strategically placed around locations that had high numbers of Covid-19 cases during the start of the pandemic. The financial benefits alone have caused a large amount of individuals to be willing to give plasma, but most are unaware of what is done with their blood samples after they leave the donation centers.
Former Georgia Southern Student, Matthew Daniel who is in his fourth year of medical school, described the process of getting plasma from a blood sample to its raw form. He noted that one of the main benefits of plasma treatment is how many medical issues and emergencies it can assist during the healing process.
One example was the use of plasma transfusions in trauma patients who have lost a lot of blood; plasma “can be given to increase their volume” as well as “give clotting factors they have lost” during traumatic incidents. Plasma transfusions can also benefit patients by giving them plasma that contains certain antibodies for diseases.
A specific example of one of these antibodies that Georgia Southern University nursing student Alyssa Solano notes, is that one benefit of donating plasma at this time is that people who donate who have previously had the coronavirus, can assist others by giving them the antibodies to fight off the coronavirus through their plasma donation. Which is a large assisting factor in the current state of the pandemic.
Daniel explained that, when giving blood, the sample is spun very quickly for 15 minutes on what is called a centrifuge machine. The spinning allows the machine to “separate the blood into three layers”. The three layers are “the red blood cells, the white blood cells, and the plasma”. He explained that the centrifuge is able to complete this separation by the different densities of the different layers. “The more dense an object is, the further down it will go,” so with plasma having the least amount of cells, making it the lightest, it will remain on top of the sample.
Once the samples have made it to hospitals they no longer are called “plasma”, it is referred to as FFP, meaning fresh frozen plasma. Which can be stored in medical labs for around one year.
Georgia Southern University senior, Josh Cobb, has personally given plasma in Savannah, Georgia, and claims he is planning to give more plasma this coming weekend. “I personally did it for the money, they gave me $150”. Cobb explained that a lot of other students around campus have also been giving plasma because of the compensation. Cobb is planning to donate locally this weekend at the Biomat plasma center on Fair Road.
Students or locals looking to donate must be 18 years or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have photo identification. Once those three steps have been completed, a donor will check in, go through a screening process, and have a physical exam before their actual donation and later compensation for their plasma. But, a new donor must donate twice in order for their plasma to be deemed safe for patient use.
When there is a heavy influx of donations, plasma can be stored for up to one year in a freezer making it last longer for when needed. The plasma is frozen in medical labs until it is determined where it will be sent to be the most beneficial. Plasma donations are not always kept in local hospitals.
While the plasma will be sent to other locations, it is still resent to local medical facilities if there is a need for more plasma in those areas. This way, donors can feel confident in knowing they have helped their community by donating.
