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Plasma Therapy Offers New Treatment Option To COVID-19 Patients

Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will soon collect plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to help newly diagnosed patients fight the disease as part of a new convalescent plasma therapy.

Pete Lux is MVRBC's director of donor services.

"Because their body isn't making antibodies on their own yet, we'll take antibodies that a donor has created and give those to the patient," Lux said. "It is assumed that those donors' plasma will have enough antibodies in it that those antibodies could then be used to treat a person who is suffering from the symptoms of COVID-19."

Lux said this process, known as passive antibody treatment, has been used in other countries to treat ebola, H1N1, and other illnesses. One donor's plasma may soon be used to treat up to 4 patients with the proper equipment.

Plasma will only be collected from donors with a lab-confirmed test showing they had COVID-19. They must have no symptoms of the virus for at least 14 days before donating.

The blood center serves hospitals in Peoria, Canton, Bloomington, and Galesburg.

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Copyright 2020 WCBU

Tim Shelley is the Assignment Editor and Digital Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.