Donate Blood, Especially If You’ve Recovered From Covid-19

Let's begin by saying that there is always a need for blood donations. Right now in the middle of the pandemic, with folks being afraid to get near a hospital or clinic, demand is extremely high.  Disasters and emergencies don't stop. So your help and donations are needed now more than ever. And it's safe to donate.

In the middle of this pandemic, we've seen a lot of success stories here in Michigan. When we get the numbers we love to check and see the results from the number of people who have RECOVERED  from Covid-19.

Cumulative Total of Recovered COVID-19 Cases (as of 5/15/2020): 28,234 (Michigan.gov)

And while we're doing everything we can to continue to flatten the curve (wash your hands, social distancing, wearing a face covering over you nose and mouth), something we can do is donate blood ESPECIALLY if you've recovered from Covid-19.

In coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Red Cross is seeking people who are fully recovered from the new coronavirus to sign up to donate plasma to help current COVID-19 patients.

People who have fully recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus. This convalescent plasma is being evaluated as treatment for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections, or those judged by a healthcare provider to be at high risk of progression to severe or life-threatening disease. (Red Cross)

The term that should jump out at you here is convalescent plasma. Check out the video above and the article below from the Wall Street Journal. While we're waiting on vaccines, this could be one of the most useful tools to help people recover.