The Hospital Authority is appealing to recovered SARS patients to participate in a blood donation programme to help research into the preparation of hyperimmune globulin as post-exposure protection for healthcare workers.

Many healthcare workers were exposed to the SARS-related coronavirus and were possibly infected by SARS while carrying out high-risk procedures for SARS patients.

The authority said that, apart from stringent infection control measures and a contingency response mechanism for SARS, it  accords top priority to finding  better treatments for SARS to prepare for possible future outbreaks.

There is a lack of an established and efficacious treatment regimen for SARS patients, so hyperimmune globulin has been proposed as a means of prevention of infection after unprotected exposure.

1,000 ex-SARS patients are suitable donors

The participation of recovered SARS patients in blood donation is required to produce enough hyperimmune globulin for any meaningful purpose. Each recovered patient can donate 500 centilitres of blood each time they make a donation.

There are 1,000 recovered SARS patients aged between 18 and 55 who are suitable to donate blood plasma.

The use of hyperimmune globulin in post-exposure protection against hepatitis B has already been well established, but its use against the SARS coronavirus has to be tested.

The research project will be conducted under a clinical research protocol according to international safety standards.

In the recruitment and assessment process, selection criteria and information packages have been developed to ensure informed consent from recovered SARS patients is obtained.

Plasma to be processed in Australia

The Hospital Authority's blood transfusion service will be responsible for the overall coordination of recruitment, testing and collection of donated plasma.

An invitation letter together with detailed information of the plasma donation programme will soon be sent to recovered SARS patients to ask them to participate.

The patients can contact the blood transfusion service to join the programme or approach clinicians during their regular follow-ups. Recovered patients can also call the service at 2710 1202 during office hours.

All the plasma collected will be sent to Australia for processing and separation into immunoglobulin, which will then follow established research protocol and be put on trial in animals before use in the clinical setting.

For details of the Plasma Donation Programme, please click here.