Have you recovered from COVID?

Rick Patrick
ECB Publishing, Inc.

As more and more people become infected with the COVID-19 virus, especially those who see only minor symptoms, hope grows that those former patients will be able to help save the lives of others. On Sunday, Aug. 23, Pres. Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma use in patients infected with COVID-19. This authorization could pave the way for more patients to receive this treatment and potentially result in greater rates of recovery.
When someone contracts a virus, their body produces antibodies to fight the virus.

Antibodies are proteins made by the body in response to infections.Those antibodies are found in the persons plasma, which is the yellow liquid part of human blood. It has been found that when the plasma from a person with high levels of antibodies against the virus is given to another person who has the virus, the antibodies in the transfused plasma helps to fight the virus in the patient receiving the transfusion. This practice is what is referred to as a convalescent plasma transfusion.
The use of convalescent plasma is nothing new. In fact, the practice has been successfully used for nearly a century. In recent weeks and months, while collecting data on its effectiveness in COVID treatment, the FDA determined it to be safe and very effective. The treatment has shown that it is most effective when administered early (within three days of symptom outbreak) to patients under the age of 80 who are not on artificial respiration, but it has been known to be of benefit in some cases of advanced virus progression.

In the spring of this year, White House authorized $48 million for the Mayo Clinic to conduct a study of the efficacy of convalescent plasma to combat COVID-19. Approximately 100,000 patients enrolled in the study and the results were that convalescent plasma was proven to reduce the mortality rate by 35 percent. According to Pres. Trump, the FDA, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard all found this treatment to be “very effective” in fighting COVID-19. “We dream in drug development of a 35 percent mortality reduction,” said Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. “This is a major advance in the treatment of patients (with COVID-19).”

Anyone who has had COVID-19 and recovered is asked to consider donating their plasma in order to help save another person's life. Donating plasma is a safe and simple procedure called plasmapheresis. It is similar to making a normal blood donation. Blood is taken from one arm and the plasma is separated from the red cells. The plasma is kept and the red cells are put back into the donor's other arm. The procedure is much faster than a usual blood donation. Plasma is replaced by the body rather quickly, so the recovery time is much faster than with a normal blood donation where the whole blood is taken.

There are options available for anyone who wishes to donate plasma. In order to donate for convalescent plasma, a donor must meet all the requirement for a normal blood donation. In addition, the donor must have evidence of COVID-19 documented by a lab test, either by a diagnostic test at the time of the illness, or a positive test for antibodies after recovery. The donor must complete resolution of symptoms at least 14 days before the donation. Female donors may not be pregnant at the time of donation.

Anyone who meets the requirements for plasma donation can visit coronavirus.gov, oneblood.org or redcross.org for information on donation sites, etc.