Medical school infectious disease specialists and Peoria-area physicians are reaching out to recovered COVID-19 patients in central Illinois to share the opportunity to help those in need through plasma donations. Hospitalized patients have been receiving this treatment recently.
Physicians, including intensive care doctors, hospitalists, and infectious disease specialists, representing OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, UnityPoint Health, and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, want to spread the word to encourage donations.
The donation of blood and plasma from healthy donors to help patients who are sick or who are in need of a transfusion for their illness is an established practice. Plasma is the portion of the blood that contains proteins and cells, including antibodies that the body has made to fight disease. Recent reports show that plasma from patients who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection may be given to patients who are severely ill with COVID-19 and may aid in their recovery.
Because there is currently no cure for COVID-19, treatment with plasma from people who have recovered from the illness may be life saving for patients fighting the infection, particularly those who are severely ill or in the intensive care unit.
To be eligible for donation, individuals must have had a positive test for COVID-19 infection and be recovered for at least 28 days.
If you or your loved one is eligible or interested in donation, there is a dedicated number to call at the University
of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria: (309) 413-1003, Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm. A team of medical residents will provide information, including details on the process and location for donation. Any questions regarding donations are welcome.