WINNIPEG -- Canadian Blood Services is working with Health Canada to figure out if they have a new tool to fight COVID-19.
The organizations are testing to see if convalescent plasma will be an effective treatment.
There is still a lot to learn about COVID-19 and for Alma Thrift, who was one of the first patients in Manitoba in March, the learning curve was steep.
"I think the hardest part was being sort of, like, a little bit unsure of what to expect, and knowing that if anything went wrong, there wasn't necessarily a solution," said Thrift who is a convalescent plasma donor.
Thrift is hoping her experience can help others and she is taking part in the plasma study.
"Because it's kind of stressful and, like, knowing that there's not a whole of research at all so far because it's so novel. I wanted to do anything that I could to help anybody who was in my situation or worse."
Convalescent plasma is collected when someone has had COVID-19.
When a person is infected, their body starts making antibodies to help fight it and it is believed those antibodies could be the key for a treatment to help others.
"Those donated anti-bodies can potentially fight the virus right then, so that it can't take a hold and cause harm in the recipient. So that when the patient or the recipient, when their own immune system kicks in, there's not been as much damage done, and the patient can heal more quickly," said Tanya Petraszko, who is the director of medical services for the Canadian Blood Services.
Canadian Blood Services said, so far, 360 patients were supported in one trial, with another 20 patients in a second trial.
The goal is to support 1,200.
In order to donate, you must be previously confirmed positive for COVID-19 by a lab test, be younger than 67-years-old and be fully recovered and symptom-free for at least 28 days.
"Not all people who have recovered from COVID make the right kind of antibodies or a sufficient amount to be able to donate to someone else, and we've learned that those who do make enough of these particular anti-bodies, the amount decrease over time," said Petraszko.
Thrift made her first donation on Halloween and now she is waiting to hear back on whether her plasma will be useful for these trials.
While she waits, she's hoping others will roll up their sleeves and take part.
"I would really like anybody else to be in the same situation to have more options. I'm hoping that something good comes out of this. I'm hoping that other people have a better future from it," said Thrift.
If people are looking to donate, they can learn more online.
