SAN ANTONIO — Note: The above story is from a June 21 story.
With the recent surge in novel coronavirus cases across the country, including here in San Antonio, has come a higher demand for treatments—including plasma donations from those who have recovered from the virus.
It's been several weeks since officials with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center first put out the call for convalescent plasma from those who have fully beaten COVID-19; the antibodies have been proven as a treatment for those currently fighting the virus. Now, as local lab-confirmed cases surge past 7,000, the blood bank says demand for plasma has increased tenfold, from five orders a day at local hospitals to more than 50 a day this week.
STBTC says that while they have been helped by super donors who have provided plasma multiple times after beating COVID-19, new donors are imperative as "the concentration of antibodies tends to go down over time."
Anyone who has fully recovered from the coronavirus is eligible to donate convalescent plasma. You can contact COVID19@southtexasblood.org to see if you meet all the requirements.