Norton Healthcare now has two ways for volunteers to sign up to donate plasma for an experimental COVID-19 treatment.

With approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Norton Healthcare has been recruiting candidates to donate plasma that may contain coronavirus-fighting antibodies.

Eligible donors:

• Must have had a positive COVID-19 test, must be symptom-free for at least 14 days and must have a negative follow-up COVID-19 test

or

• Had COVID-19 symptoms after March 4, 2020, were exposed to a patient who tested positive, have been symptom-free for 14 days; and have a COVID-19 test that detects antibodies (IgM/ IgG) with confirmed positive IgG, and a negative COVID-19 test

Additional requirements, such as those associated with any blood donation, also apply.

Related: Critically ill COVID-19 patients who received convalescent plasma leaving hospital

Volunteers who think they meet the criteria can call (502) 446-2688 or can sign up through their MyNortonChart account. If you don’t have a MyNortonChart account, you can create one at NortonHealthcare.com/MyNortonChart.

As an experimental treatment, the convalescent plasma procedure is available only to patients who are severely ill from the disease. Convalescent plasma has been used over the past several years to treat severe illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza and Ebola virus.

How to volunteer to donate plasma for COVID-19 treatment

If you think you are eligible to participate, you have two ways to volunteer as a plasma donor:

• Call (502) 446-2688.
• Or, fill out a questionnaire in your MyNortonChart account through a web browser: Choose the “Health” icon. Under “Medical Tools,” choose “Questionnaires,” then “COVID Plasma Donor.”

If you have a loved one who may be eligible to take part in the trial, discuss the possibility with their physician.