NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — COVID-19 patients who have fully recovered are donating their plasma as part of a therapy to help COVID-19 patients who are still stick.
It has been a month since Larry Harrington recovered from COVID-19 after self isolating for 21 days. He signed up and donated his plasma to the American Red Cross on Monday.
"I'm just happy to know there's a possibility that I am helping someone. I just feel like I was very lucky. I feel by doing this I can pass on that luck, hopefully," Harrington told NewsChannel 5.
The painless yet lengthy process to donate his plasma is similar to donating blood with an exception. He's one of several hundred fully recovered people in the country to donate to ARC so far with the hopes of taking the antibodies they've developed to fight the virus and use it on seriously-ill COVID-19 patients.
While more data is required, initial results and outcomes from other countries show convalescent plasma could help some patients. The Food & Drug Administration announced an initiative earlier this month to investigate plasma transfusions as a treatment option, with its long history as an effective treatment for other viruses like SARS.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has entered its next phase of its research study, which uses a different blood donation company called Blood Assurance. The blood donated must still fulfill FDA requirements before it is sent back to VUMC for use.
The hospital has enrolled nine people in the clinical trial last week and hopes to include 28 more patients with the help of two blood donation drives this week. The goal is to enroll 250 volunteer patients who have fully recovered to not only show anecdotal evidence but concrete data.
The research study has reached its next phase this week by enrolling the first patient to use the plasma as part of treatment.
"It's really exciting," Dr. Allison Wheeler of VUMC told NewsChannel 5. "We're really optimistic, and there's been such impressive enthusiasm from the community."
Ascension Saint Thomas also has been using Blood Assurance to collect plasma from patients. A hospital spokesperson said 10 recovered patients have already donated and expects up to 30 more people in the coming weeks. Currently, 31 COVID-19 patients have already been treated with the plasma although effects are still too early to tell.
Also known as a serology test, an antibody test can help reveal if someone has been exposed to COVID-19, but it's not guaranteed complete immunity.
Governor Bill Lee has announced antibody testing in the state for health care professionals. Meanwhile, Metro is not ready to conduct antibody testing because of the number of false positives they can exhibit. Many other tests have provided inaccurate or inconsistent results
Quest Diagnostics, a major company that's provided COVID-19 testing across the country including Tennessee, announced a consumer antibody test without visiting a doctor's office on Tuesday.
A test can be purchased online through QuestDirect. Each test request is reviewed and is issued an order for testing by a licensed physician if deemed appropriate. Patients can provide blood at one of the 2,200 patient service centers Quest Diagnostics operates.
