Ricoh Arena opens doors to donor centre for COVID-19 plasma trial

NHS Blood and Transplant has opened the doors of its new plasma donation centre at Ricoh Arena in Coventry, and has issued an urgent call to anyone who has had COVID-19 to register as a donor.

Wasps and England player Brad Shields was among the first people to attend for the launch to donate plasma after recovering from COVID.

Plasma collected at the centre will be used in clinical trials to determine whether the antibody-rich blood plasma found in people who’ve had coronavirus – known as convalescent plasma – could be an effective treatment for COVID-19.

The plasma is transfused into patients who are struggling to develop their own immune response. The antibodies could slow or stop the virus spreading.

There are already donor centres in Stoke, Gloucester and Birmingham. An extra pop-up plasma centre will also be opened at Wolverhampton before the end of the year.

Anyone aged over 17 who has had COVID-19 can offer to donate blood plasma donor.

Donating takes 45 minutes and the whole appointment, including time for snacks, lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Paul Michael, commercial director at Ricoh Arena, said: “We are extremely privileged to be able to play a part in the national effort to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control and save lives.

“We have already been assisting with a drive-through coronavirus testing centre for a number of months, and we look forward to extending our support further with the opening of the new plasma donation centre.”

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