Testing plasma as a way to treat COVID-19

People who have recovered from the novel coronavirus could help others battling COVID-19 by donating their plasma.

RIGHT NOW - THERE'S NOEFFECTIVE TREATMENTFOR COVID-19 - BUTDOCTORS AND SCIENTISTSARE SEARCHING FOR ONE.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD EXPLAINS HOWPEOPLE WHO SURVIVEDTHE VIRUS - COULD HELPOTHER PATIENTS.Ariel Rothfield/ 41 Action NewsDoctors have been workingaround the clock for weeks tobe part of this study.

The goalis to hopefully provide somebreakthrough therapy.BEHIND THESE WALLS-SIGNS OF HOPE IN THECORONAVIRUS UNITAFTER DOCTORS GAVE APATIENT PLASMA FROMSOMEONE WHORECOVERED FROM THECORONAVIRUSDr Marjorie Wongskhaluang/infectious disease specialistand co-investigator at Research MedicalCenterThe patient is improving.

It'sstill too early to say but weareoptimistic.HCA MIDWEST HEALTH ISTESTING CONVALESCENTPLASMA,A LIQUID COMPONENT INBLOOD THAT CONTAINSANTIBODIES, WHICH HELPNEUTRALIZE AND ATTACKVIRUSESDr Joseph Restivo/ transfusionmedicine specialist and co-investigator at Research MedicalCenterIf a patient has been exposedto the virus, their immunesystem will respond to that.And part of that response is tomake antibodies.

It's reallythose antibodies we'reinterested inAND SEEING WHETHER ORNOT THOSE ANTIBODIESCAN HELP OTHERS WHOARE SICKTHE FIRST PATIENT ATMENORAH MEDICALCENTER, WHO RECEIVEDPLASMA OVER THEWEEKEND, IS STILL ON AVENTILATORBUT THE PATIENT'SOXYGEN LEVELS HAVEIMPROVED - A PROMISINGSIGNDr Marjorie Wongskhaluang/infectious disease specialistand co-investigator at Research MedicalCenterThere is no effective treatmentat this time so we're hopefulthis maybe a potentiallyhelpful optionDONATING PLASMA ISSIMILAR TO DONATINGBLOODBUT FOR COVID-19 THEREARE RESTRICTIONSA PERSON HAS TORECOVER FOR AT LEAST 14DAYS BEFORE BLOOD CANBE DRAWNDr Joseph Restivo/ transfusionmedicine specialist and co-investigator at Research MedicalCenter.It looks like patients whoreceive this early on in thecourse of their disease benefitmore than patients whoreceive it later.

So it'scriticalin the KC area we try to getdonations for this product sowe can take care of thepatients we have right nowDONATIONS THAT FORMANY HERE MIGHT HOLDTHE KEY TO RECOVERYREPORTING IN KANSASCITY.

ARIEL ROTHFIELD.

41ACTION NEWSH-C-A IS COLLABORATINGWITH THE COMMUNITYBLOOD CENTER OFKANSAS CITY AND THEAMERICAN RED CROSS.TOGETHER THEY'VE SETUP A PLASMA DONATIONHOTLINE.IT WILL BEGIN TAKINGCALLS TOMORROWMORNING AT 8:30.THAT NUMBER IS833...582...19-71 .THERE ARE FURTHERRESTRICTIONS FORDONATING PLASMA IF YOUHAVE RECOVERED FROMCOVID-19.WE HAVE A LIST ON OURWEBSITE AT K-S-H-B-DOTCO