HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
TESS AALTO
There is currently an urgent need for blood donations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives remain cancelled, and this challenges a stable blood supply for patients in hospitals. In addition to resuming surgical treatments and procedures, convalescent plasma transfusions help critical COVID-19 patients recover from the virus. This treatment involves giving the blood of someone who has recovered from COVID-19 to someone currently fighting it. Why does my blood help others if I have had COVID-19? On June 15, 2020, the American Red Cross began screening all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that fight infections in our bodies. They are present in our blood when the body is responding to an infection, like COVID-19. Once an individual has recovered from COVID-19, the antibodies that their body developed can be used to help other COVID-19 patients heal more quickly. Instead of waiting for their bodies to produce sufficient antibodies to fight off the infection, convalescent plasma transfusions expedite this taxing process by providing patients with the appropriate antibodies. |