Those who have recovered from a coronavirus can now donate blood or platelets to any American Red Cross donation site to save the lives of coVID-19 patients in difficulty, the Red Cross announced Wednesday.
Previously, only 170 Red Cross donation centers across the country could simply settle for convalescence plasma donations, which contain COVID-19 antibodies that “may be the most critical patients actively fighting this virus,” other people who have already been diagnosed and recovered, the firm said in a press release.
From now on, blood and platelet donations in general can be made at any Red Cross blood donation or donation center, adding those in the Chicago. Se area encourages donors to make a short- or long-term appointment for coronavirus patients and others with transfusions.
For those who may have been asymptomatic or do not know if they have had COVID-19, the Red Cross is now reviewing blood donations for antibodies. The results will be obtained in a week or two, although the control is not a diagnosis. Verify that you check for infection or immunity, the presence of antibodies means that a person’s blood donation can also be used to help patients with COVID-19.
“Donations that test positive for COVID-19 antibodies are now subjected to secondary testing to verify antibody results, allowing the Red Cross to use the plasma from those donations for COVID-19 patients,” Red Cross Erin Goodhue said in the press. Launch.
Only about 2% of the country’s population testes positive for COVID-19 antibodies, meaning that “every donation is vital to ensure that coronavirus patients have access to all the functions of remedies,” said Goodhue, national medical director of direct patient care for Red Cross Biomedical Services.
Donations are so necessary that the Red Cross will award an Amazon gift card of $1,000 to five randomly chosen Americans who donate to the United States in October, and those who donate until the end of September will get a coupon for a loose haircut from Sport Clips.
The Red Cross does not settle for visits without an appointment. Donors should wear a mask or mask when donating.
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