Coronavirus Update: Broward Health Joins National Study On Plasma's Effect On COVID-19 Patients

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Broward Health is joining other hospitals nationwide in a study to figure out if plasma from former COVID-19 patients can help cure people who are seriously ill with the virus.

Everyone from Miami's Mayor Francis Suarez to ordinary strangers who have recovered from the coronavirus are going public about donating their plasma to help seriously sick COVID-19 patients.

The use of plasma is not new.

Doctor Joshua Lenchus is with Broward Health. The hospital is joining others nationwide in a plasma study on coronavirus patients.

A handful of critically ill patients at Broward Health began getting plasma over the weekend.

It's been tried on SARS and H1N1 patients. The antibodies fight infection.

To donate your plasmas, you need a lab to confirm you are positive and you must be symptom-free for a period of two weeks.

Donors have to meet basic blood donation requirements and FDA requirements.

The name of the company is called oneblood.

"You contact us and we will arrange your donation."

There have been plasma donation success stories in South Florida.

Like Doctor Vladimir Laroche, who was on a ventilator.

After donor Basil Binns donated his plasma, Dr. Laroche improved.

Paul Laroche, the patients' brother says, "A week later, he was taking a few breaths on his own. A big relief for the family."

We won't know for weeks or months the results of this study, but in the end, it
will shed light on to what degree plasma helps critically ill patients improve.

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