TBC in the news

Her doctor, Dr. Divya Ahuja, specialist in infectious diseases at Prisma Health, recommended a plasma transfusion, which takes antibodies found in convalescent plasma from patients who’ve recovered from COVID-19 and puts it in her system.

Representative Joe Cunningham donated plasma on Thursday to potentially be used in COVID-19 recovery efforts. Rep. Cunningham has fully recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive for the virus in late March.

Four critically ill COVID-19 patients were successfully infused with convalescent plasma by MUSC Health physicians as part of an investigational treatment to improve their symptoms and help them to recover after contracting the deadly coronavirus.

The congressman, who lives on James Island, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and has since recovered. His symptoms were mild and he did not require hospitalization. Doctors are hopeful that blood plasma from recovered patients like Cunningham will be useful in treating people whose symptoms are potentially severe. 

Since The Blood Connection said they are in urgent need of blood donations amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing concerns, the blood center is partnering with NewSpring Church for three days of blood drives at different church campuses.

With the odds stacked against her, Lynn Weeks survived a bout of the coronavirus and wants to help others do the same. She donated blood plasma in hopes of helping others survive the illness.

One of the first plasma donation drives in the state was held on Friday outside of Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital in Columbia.  The plasma drive was a partnership between Prisma Health and The Blood Connection.  

Flonnie West said she has never been a fan of donating blood. But Friday morning, she was at a blood drive. She didn’t even think twice about showing up. “Why would you not want to save some one’s life?” she said before she got on a bus with staff from The Blood Connection.