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Advocate Christ clinicians donate convalescent plasma
Medical center physicians, team members donate to help COVID patients
Advocate Christ Medical Center’s mantra “We’re In this Together” rang true when physicians and team members, who recently recovered from COVID-19, donated convalescent plasma to help others affected by the disease.
After researching the available treatment options and seeing firsthand how convalescent plasma has proven to be a safe treatment with few adverse side effects, Dr. Timothy Wu, an internal medicine resident, partnered with Versiti Blood Center to host the medical center’s first convalescent plasma donation drive on July 8.
With the goal to increase the supply of convalescent plasma to help those with serious COVID-19 infections, each donation made that day has the ability to help between 2-3 patients.
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“I thought that the convalescent plasma drive went well. These donations are indispensable to giving us the flexibility to treat COVID early in the disease course, where it has been shown to be most effective,” said Wu. “Everyone was excited to contribute and I can’t thank enough the donors, Versiti, and Advocate Aurora Health for making this happen. I look forward to working with them again in the future.”
The Food and Drug Administration has approved convalescent plasma treatment as an emergency investigational new drug. Convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients contains antibodies that may give patients infected with the virus an extra boost to fight the disease.
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After recovering from the virus, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a pulmonology and critical care physician, believes it’s his responsibility to help those who are currently suffering from the disease.
“From the time when I got infected, I knew that I wanted to help. If you can save one life, it’s worth the effort,” said Sahloul, who not only cares for COVID-19 patients but also trained clinicians before their assignment in COVID units.
Another donor, Dr. Karma Parmar, who works as a hospitalist, was also eager to donate convalescent plasma after seeing the positive effects it has on patients.
“Once I recovered from it, I just thought it was a good thing to do,” said Parmar.