Sonny Angara donates his blood plasma to help other COVID-19 patients

Senator Sonny Angara who recovered from 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) donated his plasma in a hospital in Quezon City, on Monday, April 13.

The senator shared the news on Instagram alongside a photo of him together with the healthcare workers of the hospital.

“Gave my plasma and it went straight to a hospital in Q.C. to a man on a ventilator - a severe case of COVID19,” he said.

“My wonderful doctors say it could save his life as the antibodies of survivors in past viruses have done. But right now there is just an informal network of hospitals speaking and exchanging notes as to the survivors giving their plasma,” he added.

He added that as much as he wanted to donate plasma everyday to halt the spread of the virus faster, experts say that a COVID-19 survivor can only donate plasma every 14 days.

“I wish I could pay it back every day but the protocol is you can only give your plasma as a survivor every 14 days,” he related.

He also asked the Department of Health (DOH), the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and Local Government Units (LGUs) to further examine the practice of plasma-sharing.

“DOH and IATF and LGUs please exchange data re the COVID-19 survivors subject to their privacy rights, so that we can help others fight this virus,” he said.

Meanwhile, studies show that plasma of recovered COVID-19 contains antibodies that could help treat patients suffering from the same disease.

Sen. Sonny announced on March 26 that he tested positive for COVID-19, after exposure to an infected resource person at a Senate hearing.

On April 6, he gladly shared with the public that he has recovered from the deadly virus.