Howie Severino gets rejected on second attempt to donate blood plasma
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Veteran broadcast journalist Howie Severino talks about how COVID-19 survivors like him are slowly losing their antibodies protecting them against the dreaded disease.
Howie Severino failed to donate his blood plasma on his second attempt to help COVID-19 patients. However, he later on qualified for donation as its demand continues to rise amid the ongoing pandemic.
A routinary rapid test for work confirmed that Howie still possesses the antibodies that protect him against reinfection by the COVID-19 disease so he decided to make another blood plasma donation. He made his first donation in May, shortly after fully recovering from the new coronavirus disease.
However, his second attempt was declined as the antibodies in his blood began to decrease.
The Kapuso news pillar said, “The current surge in COVID-19 cases coincides with a severe shortage of life-saving plasma, which can only be given by recovered patients like me. Not only are fewer covid survivors stepping up, most of those that do volunteer get rejected because their antibodies have already dwindled. That's what happened to me last Monday at PGH when I answered the call to donate plasma. I was told after tests that I still had enough antibodies for my own protection but not enough to be accepted as a donor.
“I was the 20th rejection out of 21 survivors who offered to donate in the last week. This comes at the same time as dozens of urgent appeals for plasma circulate online. One unnerving revelation is a survivor's antibodies decrease at a faster rate than many expected. It's been only 14 weeks since I was discharged from the hospital as a Covid survivor."
In an update he posted on Thursday, July 23, Howie revealed that he was qualified to donate again after the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) “revised their cutoff for antibody level.”
He also urged his fellow COVID-19 survivors to make their blood plasma donations at the soonest possible time.
He said, “The best time to donate plasma is during the so-called “golden period,” that first month after recovery when the survivor's supply of antibodies is still at their height. If you know any new COVID[-19] survivors, gently remind them of this precious gift of an opportunity to give someone else a fighting chance.”
Read his full account here:
