Coronavirus News: Woman who tested positive for COVID-19 finally able to donate plasma

ByDan Krauth

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Woman who recovered from COVID-19 finally able to donate plasma

It's the day Julie Thaler, a mother and teacher from Yonkers, has been patiently waiting for since the beginning of March.

YONKERS, Westchester County (WABC) -- Friday is the day Julie Thaler, a mother and teacher from Yonkers, has been patiently waiting for since the beginning of March.

"I feel ecstatic," she said

Friday afternoon, she was finally able to leave self-isolation at home and donate her plasma after testing positive for COVID-19. Her antibodies can be used to potentially help up to four critically ill patients who are currently fighting the virus.

"I feel like there's a reason that I got this illness, and here's the answer," she said. "I can save three to four lives."

There's confusion and competition when it comes to patients who recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma.

She tried to donate her plasma last week, only to find out she was still testing positive for the virus weeks after having initial symptoms.

"The virus takes much longer than we think to leave our body," she said. "The CDC recommends 72 hours after our last fever. and that is way too lax. It took me two weeks past my last fever to get a negative test."

She's not alone. She found a Facebook group called Survivor Corps where dozens of donors were experiencing the same thing.

"Finding Survivor Corps was a major part of getting information, getting comfort and comforting others," she said.

Diana Berrent, who donated her plasma this week after recovering from COVID-19, founded the group, which now has 26,000 followers online and growing.

One of its purposes is to act as a matchmaking service for donors to find places to donate.

"They need subjects, and they need them now," Berrent said. "And we don't have time to waste with each organization sending chain mail fighting over survivors."

They're not just helping people locate the dozens of hospitals looking for plasma, but research institutions that are studying the virus.

"They need to use our bodies to figure out the methods of transmission, how long we shed the virus, all these questions the answers are in our blood," Berrent said.

They're hoping to make the confusing and competitive process easier.

"Stay quarantined, stay isolated, stay safe," Thaler said.