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Blood drives test for COVID-19 antibodies
Justin Matthews reports
TAMPA, Fla. - OneBlood is testing every blood donor for COVID-19 antibodies as the demand for convalescent plasma continues to grow in the fight to treat patients with the coronavirus.
"The demand for COVID-19 plasma has gone up 500 percent so that's why we're asking people, if you've had COVID-19 in the past, you've tested positive for it, we would love to hear from you to have you give plasma," said Pat Michaels, a spokesperson for OneBlood.
Antibody test results take about 24 hours. If results are positive, OneBlood says they will contact the donor and ask if they would like to come back in and donate plasma. Medical experts say plasma is one of the few effective tools to help prevent COVID-19 patients from having to go into the intensive care unit.
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"Hospitals and doctors were treating patients very late in the sickness in the past, but they've learned that the treatment works quite well, so they've moved it up to earlier in the treatment and that has caused the demand for COVID-19 plasma to go up so much," said Michaels. "You're doing something that could possibly save as many as three lives."