​​​Recovered COVID-19 Patients Could Help Treat the Sick

PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - An experimental therapy will be tested on the sickest COVID-19 patients at Pittsburgh's two large hospital systems. UPMC, Allegheny Health Network, and Vitalant, the former Central Blood Bank, are teaming up to seek recovered COVID-19 patients willing do donate blood.

 

"It's a treatment that has been shown in a few small studies to be effective in that the antibody response that is generated to COVID-19, to the virus itself SARS-2, seems to be at some level protective. It has been shown to help with both the symptoms and the recovery rate of patients that are in the ICU," said Dr Kelly Stefano, Director of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at AHN.

 

To be eligible, donors must be 21 days into recovery and take a test to show that they are free of the Caronavirus. Their antibody level must also pass a threshold set by the FDA.

 

According to Dr. Darrell Triulzi, Medical Director of Vitalant Clinical Services, "With the help of the FDA, convalescent plasma represents one of the initial available therapies to patients with COVID-19 infection."

 

Vitalant expects to meet with the first donors this week.

 

Interest donors may apply online  or through UPMC or AHN.