Red Cross Says Blood Donations Can Help Patients Battling COVID-19
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Donating blood is taking on a new role during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Red Cross, donors now have the opportunity to help patients battling COVID-19.
Plasma from blood and platelet donations that test positive for COVID-19 antibodies can help those in need of a convalescent plasma transfusion.
"We still need blood," said Tina Czaikowski, an account representative for the Red Cross. "For a while, people weren't getting into car accidents, which is good, but we still have cancer patients that desperately need platelets and right now we are testing all the antibodies so that way we can produce convalescent plasma."
Previously, convalescent plasma could only be obtained through a special donation at certain Red Cross blood donation centers.
