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Patients who have fully recovered from COVID-19 may be able to help other people currently fighting it, by donating their plasma.
Community Health Network Emergency Doctor Christian Ross says it’s believed the plasma from a past infected person now contains COVID-19 antibodies.
"And that plasma with those antibodies given to coronavirus patients actually knocks out most of the virus in the patient’s body," Ross says.
Blood donations are also needed. Ross says there is a critical level of all blood types across the state.
"People were doing the right thing with stay-at-home orders and social distancing. Unfortunately, we have dropped off on our community obligations and that includes donating blood," Ross says.
Community Health Network CEO Bryan Mills tested positive for COVID-19 in March. He made a plasma donation over the weekend. His donation is one of more than 170 donations that Versiti Blood Center of Indiana received from donors since the program began in April.
Versiti, among the first in the U.S. to begin collecting convalescent plasma, is working with its partner hospitals in Indiana to identify recovered patients.
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