On May 29, 2020, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced it had begun an effort to collect 8,000 donated units of plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to support the development of an effective treatment against the disease.

Donations were accepted at 15 Armed Services Blood Program centers across the continental United States, and in Hawaii, Guam and Germany.

Patients fully recovered from COVID-19 were the only ones who qualify to be a COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor, said Army Col. Audra Taylor, chief of the Armed Services Blood Program. DOD personnel and their families, as well as non-DOD civilians with access to collection facilities on installations, were welcome to donate.