RIGHT NOW THE
COVID TREATMENT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT PANEL SAYS IT WILL NOT RECOMMEND PLASMA FROM
RECOVERED CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS
BE USED TO TREAT THOSE BATTLING
THE ILLNESS.
A GEORGIA MAN TELLS NEWS 4 JAX
IT SAVED HIS LIFE AND HE HOPES
DONORS WILL KEEP
COMING FORWARD.
>>MARY BAER: THE PANEL WITH THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
SAID TUESDAY. THERE’S NOT
ENOUGH SOLID EVIDENCE WHEN IT
COMES TO CONVALESCENT PLASMA TO
TREAT
COVID-19 2 WEEKS AFTER THE FDA
AUTHORIZED ITS
EMERGENCY USE THAT ORDER HAS
OPEN THE DOOR FOR MORE PATIENTS
TO RECEIVE IT AND HAS LED TO
ONE JACKSONVILLE BLOOD BANK
SEEING A 500% INCREASE
IN DEMAND. NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER
VIC MICOLUCCI WHO RECOVERED
FROM CORONAVIRUS SHOWS US THE
PROCESS.
♪
>> LAST MONTH ROBERT ORLEANS LOVED ONES DID NOT KNOW IF YOU’D BE TAKING HIS LAST
BREATHS WHEN THE 71 YEAR-OLD
WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS HOW BAD WAS IT FOR
YOU SIR.
>> WAS A WHY CHANGE AND
EXPERIENCE YOU ARE PUSHES IT
SOUNDS FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE
PRETTY MUCH TIME IS OR
LANCASTER, YOU KNOW WHAT ARE
HIS CHANCES OF MAKING SHE SAID
WELL.
>> IT A DAY. SHE SAID HE’S GOT
A 20% CHANCE OF
MY KID.
>> AS HE LAY IN THE ICU DOCTORS
TRIED REMDESIVIR YEAR
AND OXYGEN BUT HE DID NOT
IMPROVE SO THEN THEY WANTED TO
♪
TEST OUT CONVALESCENT PLASMA
WORK THAT FAST LIKE THAT.
>> YOU KNOW THAT THAT HAD TO BE
WHAT
WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE IT WAS
TURNING AROUND WHERE IS THE
COVID MEDICINE. IT’S NOT
ANYTHING IN
3 DAYS.
>> NOW BACK HOME AND RECOVERING
WITH HIS WIFE WHO HAD A LESS
SEVERE CASE WESTMORELAND
BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF PLASMA
CONVALESCENT PLASMA COMES FROM
THE BLOOD OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE
RECOVERED FROM COVID-19 AND
WHILE NOT YET CLINICALLY
PROVEN. MANY DOCTORS BELIEVE IT
MAY HELP PEOPLE RECOVER FASTER
AND TO MAKE THE SICKNESS
LESS SEVERE BUT IT’S PROMISING
ENOUGH THAT I WANTED TO TO
DONATE
MY PLASMA. I HAD THE
CORONAVIRUS IN JULY AND AUGUST
AND MEDICAL EXPERTS I SPOKE
WITH SAY MY ANTIBODIES COULD
SAVE 4 TO 5 LIVES.
SO I VISITED THE LIFESOUTH
DONATION CENTER WENT THROUGH
EXTENSIVE
SCREENING PROCESS. OKAY, LET’S
DO IT AND STARTED TO DO MY PART
SO WITH THIS MACHINE DOES.
>> IS IT ABLE TO TAKE JUST
EUROPE
LAST MONTH AND THEN RETURNS
YOUR RED BLOOD CELLS AND
PLATELETS BLACK IN
YOUR BODY.
>> KAREN PATTERSON AND
TECHNICIANS SKYLER GUIDED ME
THROUGH ONE SMALL NEEDLE STICK
IN MY ARM AND I
WAS DONATED.
>> THE GOAL IS TO NOT LOOK AT
IT
RIGHT. YEAH.
>> EVERYBODY’S DIFFERENT
BELIEVE IT OR NOT SOME PEOPLE
LIKE TO LOOK I’M NOT ONE TO
LOOK.
>> IT REALLY WASN’T PAINFUL AND
I
FELT FINE. IT TOOK ABOUT 90
MINUTES TO GET ENOUGH OF MY
YELLOW PLASMA TO HELP OTHERS,
IT’S THE FINAL
COUNTDOWN HERE.
>>TARIK MINOR: THEY’VE JUST GOT
A FEW MORE MILILITERS TO PULL
OUT TO REACH THAT
800 MILLILITER GOAL.
>> OF MY PLASMA THE SAMPLES
TAKEN FROM LIFESOUTH GO TO
BAPTIST HEALTH MEMORIAL AND
ORANGE PARK
MEDICAL CENTERS AND THEY’RE PUT
TO USE QUICKLY DEMAND IS
SO HIGH.
>> AND WE HAVEN’T SEEN AS MANY
DONORS DONATING CONVALESCENT
PLASMA AS
WE’D LIKE SO THIS IS DEFINITELY
NOT GOING TO BE SITTING ON A
SHELF IT’S GOING TO BE SEEING
SOMEBODY PROBABLY
ABOUT TOMORROW.
>> AND WITH THAT PATIENTS LIKE
ROBERT WESTMORELAND COULD BE
GETTING BETTER. HE AND HIS WIFE
ARE THANKFUL. DOCTORS TRIED
THIS DIFFERENT TYPE OF
TREATMENT I UNDERSTAND WHY
ANYBODY WOULD THEY TRUST HIM
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE
JUST SLAM.
>> CHANCE OF MAKING IT IS YOU
KNOW HIS DAUGHTER WAS SO YOU
KNOW YOU’RE TRYING TO THINK
THAT WAY.
>> THE WESTMORELAND SAY THEY
WANT TO GIVE BACK AND AS SOON
AS IT IS SAFE TO
DO SO THEY PLAN ON DONATING
THEIR OWN PLASMA WHICH SHOULD
HAVE ANTIBODIES
IN IT. YOU DO NEED TO BE
SYMPTOM-FREE FOR AT LEAST 14
DAYS AND TESTED NEGATIVE.
BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY DONATE
CONVALESCENT PLASMA. IT IS FREE
FOR THE DONOR BY
THE WAY.
>>MARY BAER: VIC ROBERT WENT
FROM JUST A 20% CHANCE OF
SURVIVAL TO NOW HE WANTS TO
TONE A PLASMA THAT’S PRETTY
INCREDIBLE AND HE COULD SAVE UP
TO 45 LIVES JUST
LIKE YOU.
>> AS WELL RIGHT MARY THEY’RE A
GREAT FAMILY AND YET THEY
ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IN THE POWER
OF PLASMA AND YOU HEARD IT FROM
HIS WIFE DEBBIE RIGHT THERE.
SHE SAID WE DON’T KNOW THE
CORONAVIRUS HASN’T BEEN AROUND
LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT THE EFFECTS OF
CONVALESCENT PLASMA ARE GOING
TO BE BUT IT
HELPED US AT LEAST WE BELIEVE
SO AND NOW IT’S OUR TURN TO
GIVE BACK TO SOMEONE ELSE AND
THAT’S HOW I BECAUSE WHEN I WAS
FIGHTING THIS VIRUS THANKFULLY.
I WASN’T HOSPITALIZED. THEY DID
NOT HAVE NEARLY AS SEVERE OF A
CASE AS ROBERT.
BUT CERTAINLY I THOUGHT OF ALL
THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME WITH
JUST THINKING ABOUT ME SENDING
KIND MESSAGES SENDING FOOD AND
MEALS AND I SAID THERE’S GOING
TO BE SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO
TO
GIVE BACK.
>> THIS I SAY THAT IN THE MIDST
OF IT AND NOW HERE IT IS THIS
IS ONE OF THEM. ONE OF MANY
THAT I PLAN ON DOING IT
YOU KNOW.
>> WE JUST DON’T KNOW IT’S A
NEW VIRUS, THERE’S A LOT OF
UNKNOWNS AND ONE TIME YOU
HEAR THAT PLASMAS GOOD AND THE
OTHER TIMES YOU HEAR THAT IT’S
NOT REALLY HELPING PEOPLE.
THAT’S THE DILEMMA.
>>MARY BAER: SO FOR A LIST OF PLACES TO DONATE CONVALESCENT PLASMA IN JACKSONVILLE. YOU CAN
LOOK FOR THE STORY IN THE HOME
PAGE OF NEWS 4 JAX DOT COM.