ABSTRACT
Background/Case Studies: In the absence of a vaccine, COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) collected from people recovered from COVID-19 may provide one viable treatment option. Blood Collection Agencies (BCA) are collecting CCP to support clinical trials and the production of hyperimmune immunoglobulin. To date, nothing is known about what influences the decision-making of those eligible to be CCP donors. This research addresses this gap. If CCP is beneficial in treating COVID-19 and there is an ongoing need to collect CCP, this information will assist in recruiting and retaining CCP donors. Study Design/Methods: Drawing on research on barriers and motivations for Ebola CP donation, plasma donation in general, and barriers to donating during COVID-19, items assessing potential motivators (e.g., gratitude) and barriers (e.g., infection risks) to donating CCP were developed. These were administered along with items assessing intention to (re)donate CCP to 391 eligible UK CCP non-donors and 203 Australian CCP donors Results/Findings: Exploratory factor analysis with the non-donor data identified 6 motivation (e.g., gratitude, reciprocity) and 7 barrier factors (e.g., infection risk to self/ others, remaining unwell, general/logistical barriers to donating) to donating CCP. For both non-donors and donors, beliefs representing a moral and civic duty to donate were the most strongly endorsed motive for donation, while logistical concerns about donating were the most strongly endorsed barrier. Regression analyses showed that the motives and barriers accounted for 36% of variance in non-donors' intentions to donate CCP and 18% of variance in donors' intentions to re-donate. Having a stronger sense of gratitude and reciprocity, perceiving a duty to help, and viewing donating as a way to contribute were significantly positively related to intention for nondonors while concerns about impact of donating on self/ others and general fears about donating were negatively related. For CCP donors, only general fears about donating negatively predicted intention to re-donate CCP. Conclusions: Non-donors eligible to donate CCP are motivated and deterred by a complex array of beliefs that reflect concerns about their own and others wellbeing, a want to help and contribute, along with general barriers to donation. For existing CCP donors, only general barriers to donating predict their intention to continue donating. While these findings require replication, they highlight key beliefs that BCAs can target to recruit and retain non-donors eligible to donate CCP, but suggest that messaging to existing CCP donors should focus only on the process of donation rather than the reason for the donor's eligibility to donate.