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A man donates plasma at a CSL Plasma collection center at an unknown date and location. 

Courtesy CSL Plasma

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A woman donates plasma at a CSL Plasma collection center at an unknown date and location. 

Courtesy CSL Plasma

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A worldwide plasma center is imploring residents to donate plasma in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

CSL Plasma has more than 12,000 employees across 270 plasma collection centers in the world. Plasma collected at collection facilities are used by CSL Behring in order to manufacture and deliver medical treatment in over 60 countries. CSL Behring is a biotech company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Human plasma is used to treat bleeding disorders — including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease — primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema, inherited respiratory disease and neurological disorders, general manager Eduardo Williams said.

Additionally, CSL Behring’s products are also used in cardiac surgeries, organ transplants, burn treatments and to prevent hemolytic diseases in newborns.

Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood and consists of mainly water, protein and antibodies. These antibodies help the human body to function and can be easily replaced in the body.

COVID-19 leaves a mark in the human body, and through antibody tests, health officials can help residents discover if they have had COVID-19. Those who have been exposed to or survived COVID-19 can help others fight the virus.

Health officials are using plasma from individuals exposed to COVID-19 to develop vaccines and treatments for those who have not yet been exposed or who are hospitalized with the virus.

“A lot of the focus right now is not just to find a way to treat people with COVID-19, but trying to find a way to develop a hyperimmune vaccine for it,” Williams said.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, even with the promise of compensation, CSL Plasma has seen a significant decrease in the number of people donating. This is mostly due to the mandatory quarantine many were forced to participate in as well as the fear of contamination.

Williams said it has been a bit of a challenge to balance personal safety with health innovation.

“You want to get the word out there but you also don’t want to put anyone in harms way at the same time,” he said. “The biggest thing that we’re doing is trying to touch base more on social media, which will allow us to have that interaction one-on-one with people.”

In order to help qualm fears of community spread, CSL Plasma has put into place practices and procedures that exceed guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Williams said.

Donors undergo extensive screening processes to ensure they are in good health and safe to donate, and employees are also mandated to record their temperatures before starting a shift.

Additionally, disinfecting protocols have become more strict, and employees are also being provided with personal protective equipment and practicing social distancing.

“We kind of take it a step further by hiring a day coordinator that is constantly cleaning and disinfecting the center,” Williams said.

In an attempt to encourage plasma donations and additional charity, CSL Behring has launched The CSL Plasma Challenge. The challenge allows plasma donors to pay it forward throughout the month of June by pledging a portion or all of their donor compensation to Project CURE, an organization that supports healthcare workers working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.

CSL Behring will also pledge $5 to the nonprofit for every donor that nominates others to donate using the hashtag “#CSLPlasmaChallenge.”

The organization is also a part of a coalition spearheading The Fight Is In Us campaign.

With more than 30 organizations participating in the movement, the national donor recruitment campaign is connecting COVID-19 survivors with licensed blood and plasma donation centers, like CSL Plasma, across the U.S. to help facilitate donations.

“The critical thing right now is just for the public to understand just how important giving plasma is and how it produces life-saving benefits for people,” Williams said. “They will be safe at our facilities, and it’s so important that people donate right now.”

CSL Plasma has two locations in Utah: one in Midvale and one in Salt Lake City.