U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota health officials are calling on the federal government to launch a nationwide effort to recruit plasma donors among people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Klobuchar, D-Minn., spoke at M Health Fairview in Minneapolis on Sunday.

COVID-19 survivors may have antibodies that can be key protections for people seriously ill with coronavirus infections. And while donations of the plasma that carries those antibodies initially proved relatively strong, the stocks have been diminishing.

Klobuchar said Minnesota has led the way — her own husband donated plasma at Mayo Clinic after being seriously ill with COVID-19.

"But a lot of places around the country that have even higher levels of COVID than we do here in Minnesota, just aren’t attuned to the need to give plasma. So that’s why we want to bring this out on a national basis," she said.

Dr. Claudia Cohn, associate director of laboratories and director of the blood bank laboratory at M Health Fairview, said places like New York have barely 10 percent of the plasma from recovered patients that they once had.

And while she says research is still figuring out the use of plasma as a treatment, donations from recovered COVID-19 patients are likely one of the fastest and beneficial options available to help people recover from coronavirus infections.

"Call Memorial Blood Centers, go online. Call the American Red Cross. Make an appointment to go donate your convalescent plasma. It takes less than two hours, usually about 90 minutes," she said. "And a single donation usually allows you to donate three units of convalescent plasma. That’s three lives you’ve potentially saved."

Klobuchar said she’s working with Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi to get federal government support for the plasma donation campaign.