GREAT FALLS — Some recovered COVID-19 patients are helping in the fight against coronavirus by donating blood plasma.
Kelly Clavin tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-March after taking a trip in Europe. She believes she caught it when she was coming back through the airport, but she suffered little to no symptoms at all.
“My sense of taste and smell for about a day and a half, two days, even then I didn't feel sick,” said Clavin.
As soon as she found out she tested positive she posted on social media to make a post to warn others that this was real, and people needed to take it seriously. “I went and made a big Facebook post about this, 'OK, maybe it is important that we do this,'” said Clavin.
Kelly wanted to help in the best way she could. “Help the people that are not going to have an easy go if they encounter this virus, you know, we want to do what we can."
The federal Food & Drug Administration website states: "If you have fully recovered from COVID-19, you may be able to help patients currently fighting the infection by donating your plasma. Because you fought the infection, your plasma now contains COVID-19 antibodies. These antibodies provided one way for your immune system to fight the virus when you were sick, so your plasma may be able to be used to help others fight off the disease."
The American Red Cross website states: "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."
Click here for more information at the Red Cross site.