First OK COVID-19 survivor offers hope

First OK COVID-19 survivor offers hope

RECOVERED, HE WANTED TO MAKEA DIFFERENCE.HE CHOSE TO DONATE PLASMA -SOMETHING SURVIVORS ACROSSTHE COUNTRY ARE BEGINNING TODO.

2 WORKS FOR YOU's CHRISDIMARIA SHOWS US HOW THATGESTURE HAS BROUGHT HOPE -AND POTENTIALLY HEALING FORANOTHER LOCAL PATIENT.CURTIS BARONE / RECOVEREDCOVID-19 PATIENT: "IT WASPRETTY SURREAL.

BECAUSE ITWAS LIKE, WHAT?

WHERE DID IGET IT?" CURTIS BARONE WASIN LONDON AND ITALY FOR AWEEK IN LATE FEBRUARY,VISITING HIS SON WHO WASSTUDYING ABROAD.

HE HAD BEENHOME FOR A WEEK..

WHEN HEBEGAN FEELING SICK.CURTIS BARONE / RECOVEREDCOVID-19 PATIENT: "WEDIDN'T THINK I HAD IT,BECAUSE I ONLY SHOWED ONE OFTHE THREE SYMPTOMS THEY WERETALKING ABOUT AT THE TIME,WHICH WAS A FEVER." JUSTDAYS LATER - BARONE GOT WORDHE WAS THE FIRST OKLAHOMANTO TEST POSITIVE FORCOVID-19.CURTIS BARONE / RECOVEREDCOVID-19 PATIENT: "IT HITUS THAT I WAS FIRST IN THESTATE WHEN THE TULSA HEALTHDEPARTMENT CALLED THATFRIDAY AFTERNOON TO SAY'HEY, YOU'VE TESTED POSITIVEFOR THIS, WE'RE WORKING ON APRESS CONFERENCE WITH THEGOVERNOR.'" BARONE'SSYMPTOMS PEAKED - THEN BEGANTO GO AWAY.

TWO DAYS LATER,THEY WERE GONE.

AFTERTESTING NEGATIVE TWICE,BARONE STAYED IN QUARANTINE,WONDERING HOW HE COULD HELPAFTER FULLY RECOVERING.THAT'S WHEN HE FOUND OUTABOUT DONATING PLASMA WITHASCENSION ST.

JOHN.CURTIS BARONE / RECOVEREDCOVID-19 PATIENT: "A LOT OFPEOPLE WORKED VERY HARD TOHELP ME RECOVER, AND IF IT'SSOMETHING THAT I CAN DO TOHELP SOMEBODY ELSE RECOVER,THEN I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT."THE RECIPIENT OF HIS PLASMAHAD BEEN ON A VENTILATOR FORA WEEK.

DR. ANUJ MALIKSTUDIED HER RECOVERY CLOSELYAFTER THE TRANSPLANT.DR. ANUJ MALIK / INFECTIOUSDISEASE SPECIALIST: "WEGAVE HER THE PLASMA, THEREWAS IMPROVEMENT IN SOME LABFEATURES THE NEXT DAY, ANDTHEN THE FOLLOWING DAYTHINGS HAD IMPROVED TO THEPOINT WHERE SHE WAS ABLE TOCOME OFF THE VENTILATOR."DR. MALIK SAYS SHE IS NOWSTABLE, AND MAKING A STEADYRECOVERY.DR. ANUJ MALIK / INFECTIOUSDISEASE SPECIALIST: "MYSUSPICION IS IT DID HELP TOA CERTAIN EXTENT, AND ALSOIT LIKELY HAS THE POTENTIALOF HELPING, IT MAKES SENSETHAT SOMEONE WHO HASRECOVERED WILL DEVELOPANTIBODIES AGAINST THEVIRUS." AROUND 80 COVID-19PATIENTS IN THE U-S HAVERECEIVED A PLASMA TRANSPLANTSO FAR..

THOSE WHO HAVEFULLY RECOVERED FROMCOVID-19 CAN APPLY ONLINE TODONATE PLASMA.CURTIS BARONE / RECOVEREDCOVID-19 PATIENT: "TO BEATCOVID, IT'S GOING TO TAKE AVILLAGE.

WE ALL HAVE A ROLETO PLAY." FOR THOSE WHO HAVESTAYED HEALTHY SO FAR, DR.MALIK SAYS EVERYONE SHOULDKEEP A HIGH VIGILANCE FORSYMPTOMS, WEAR A MASK INPUBLIC, AND KEEP YOURSELFISOLATED EVEN INSIDE YOURHOME IF YOU BEGIN TO FEELSICK.

IN TULSA, CHRISDIMARIA, 2 WORKS FOR YOU.A LOCAL CANDLE COMPANY THATSTARTED MAKING HA