Doctors urge convalescent plasma donations amid critical shortage
Doctors urge convalescent plasma donations amid critical shortage
UW Health officials say there remains a critical need for convalescent plasma donations to help patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
MADISON, Wis. - As the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, local doctors are calling on recovered patients to help. Health officials say one donation can make a remarkable difference.
The process is similar to giving blood, and doctors say it is saving lives.
Dr. Jasmine Zapata I was shocked when I look on my phone and pulled up my COVID results, said Dr. Jasmine Zapata with UW Health.
Convalescent plasma donations needed
LA CRESCENT, Minn. (WXOW) - According to the CDC, over 170,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on January 5. Doctors at UW Health say this means there s still a critical need for convalescent plasma donations.
After recovering from a family COVID-19 outbreak, UW Health Pediatrician Dr. Jasmine Zapata said she wanted to do whatever she could to help others going through the struggle of fighting the virus. Her answer was donating convalescent plasma. One out of 800 black Americans die from COVID 19 and for me personally I saw it as a privilege and a blessing and an honor that I m still alive and I don t take that lightly, said Zapata. Right now I know that there are people all across Wisconsin who are critically ill in the hospital and the life saving plasma that I can donate could change their lives, impact their families and that was one of the reasons I knew I had to donate.