If you have recovered from the coronavirus, you can do more than stay home to save lives, according to Mayor de Blasio.
"Anyone who has tested positive and recovered and is in a position to give blood, we need you and please give blood as quickly as possible," said de Blasio.
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Hospitals across the city are infusing the antibodies found in blood plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients into those struggling to fight off the virus. The mayor is now asking anyone eligible to donate through the New York Blood Center.
"The plasma in your blood can help others," added de Blasio.
Some New Yorkers have already answered that call, like mother daughter duo Antoinette Tomins and Anna Carbone. Both started experiencing symptoms in late March and tested positive for coronavirus.
They donated plasma over the weekend.
"Going through it and see people pass away from it, my thought was I survived it, I am good now I am goo enough to donate plasma in hopes of saving somebody else who is suffering from this horrible virus," said Antoinette Tomins.
Both Tomins and Carbone registered to donate through the NY Blood Center.
They were screened first online, providing documentation of their positive test results and being symptom free for at least two weeks, then again when they arrived at the center.
The donation process took about a half hour and was similar to that of giving blood. Except plasma is separated and the rest of the blood is pumped back into the body.
"The only thing you feel is the needle going in and that is really it," added Anna Carbone.
If successful, blood plasma from a single COVID-19 survivor can save up to three lives with antibody therapy.
"I feel like you are almost doing an injustice if you know you are recovering from coronavirus and you have this opportunity to save lives, why not? Why wouldn't you?" said Carbone.