Duterte urges COVID-19 survivors to donate blood 'as gratitude to God'

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors to donate their blood as an act of gratitude to God.

"'Yung mga nakalabas na sa lahat, mag-mabuting loob kayo, and I think kung ako, I should volunteer. That is the way of thanking God that that you have survived," Duterte said in a briefing aired at past midnight.

Duterte's call echoed the appeal of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the first hospital in the country to attempt a convalescent plasma transfusion.

Previous reports state that the transfusion was used in Wuhan City, China to heal patients in severe condition as the blood contained antibodies against the virus.

"Magpakuha kayo kasi yun ang dugo ninyo, yung plasma ninyo, yung ang i-iinject sa tinamaan. So yung katawan mo makukuha niya 'yun," Duterte said.

According to Duterte, the solution to the virus is a vaccine.

However, as this was not yet available, the president urged the public to cooperate with each other.

"In the mean time, we help each other as one nation [...] you can keep criticizing pero alam ng taong bayan, alam ng Filipino, ano itong COVID at ano yung hakbang ng gobyerno," Duterte said. -NB, GMA News