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THE MOST SEVERELY ILL PATIENTS. VICKI: THIS IS THE BRIDGE FOR BLOOD AND PLASMA DONATIONS. THE NONPROFIT NOW JOINING THE COVID-19 FRONT. SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR COVID-19 SURVIVORS. BECAUSE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP CURRENT CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS LIVE. >> THE CONCEPT HERE IS THAT DURING THE RECOVERY, MOST OR ALL OF THEM, ALL THE ANTIBODIES, IMMUNE PROTEINS THAT WHEN TRANSFUSED INTO PATIENTS WHO ARE VERY SICK, MIGHT HELP THOSE PATIENTS MORE RAPIDLY OVERCOME THEIR ILLNESSES. VICKI: THEY SAY THE PROCESS IS SIMILAR TO THE BLOOD PLASMA DONATION CONDUCTED DURING KCRA 3 ' ’S RECENT BLOOD DRIVE. THE WHAT THEY WILL DONATE IS CALLED CONVALESCENT PLASMA. WHICH THE FDA JUST IMPROVED AS INVESTIGATIONAL TREATMENT. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS. A DONOR NEEDS TO BE REFERRED BY EITHER THEIR PHYSICIAN, A CLINIC, HOSPITAL OR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. A COVID-19 SURVIVOR IS ONLY ELIGIBLE IF THEY OFFICIALLY HAVE A PRIOR DIAGNOSIS OF COVID-19, HAVE NOT HAD SYMPTOMS FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS. CURRENTLY TEST NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19, AND MEET THE NORMAL DONOR ELIGIBILITY FOR PLASMA DONATION. >> THE IDEA HERE IS THAT, IN TILL WE HAVE A VACCINE AVAILABLE, PROBABLY SOMETIME NEAR 2021, THIS WILL BE OUR MEASURE WHEREBY WE CAN PROVIDE ANTIBODIES THAT WE HOPE SOMEDAY ALL OF US WILL BE MAKING DUE TO THE VACCINE. BUT WE CAN PROVIDE THESE ANYBODY’S DIRECTLY TO

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If you’ve visited Vitalant, it’s likely to become a blood or plasma donor. The nonprofit is now joining the COVID-19 fight by asking COVID-19 survivors to become donors to help current critical patients. Recovered COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma, which then will be transfused into a current COVID-19 patient with severe symptoms. “The concept here is that during the recovery, we believe many, perhaps most or all of them, would develop antibodies -- immune proteins -- that perhaps when transfused into patients who themselves are very, very sick, it might help those patients more rapidly overcome their illnesses” said Dr. Chris Gresens with Vitalant.The Food and Drug Administration just approved the transfusion as an investigational treatment for COVID-19 patients. The donation is called “convalescent plasma,” and former COVID-19 patients need to be referred by their physician, clinic, hospital or local public health department. In order to be eligible, the donor:Needs to have official diagnosis of COVID-19 via laboratory testNeeds to be without COVID-19 symptoms for at least 14 daysCurrently tests negative for COVID-19Meets all other eligibility for an automatic plasma donationVitalant then works with hospital providers to find suitable COVID-19 patients. “The idea here is that until we have a vaccine available, probably sometime in the year 2021, this will be our stop gap measure, where we can provide antibodies that we hope we all will be making due to the vaccine,” Gresens said. “But, we can provide these antibodies directly to patients to help them recover more quickly.”Vitalant launched convalescent plasma collection at four pilot locations this week. If successful, national collection can begin next week. If you think you’re eligible there is a form to fill-out on the Vitalant website.