Two weeks after the first Madison, Wisconsin-area donor contributed convalescent plasma (https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/health-med-fit/first-uw-hospital-covid-19-patients-treated-with-plasma-from-recovered-donors/article_14d987b4-27ae-585f-88f2-a7de7aa4ae30.html) to treat COVID-19 patients at University of Wisconsin (UW) Hospital, 14 patients have been treated, with some showing significant improvement, a doctor said Friday. Plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 that presumably contains anti-COVID-14 antibodies, are being transfused into patients struggling with complications of the disease at UW Hospital and some 40 centers around the country (https://ccpp19.org/). The treatment is experimental, but the approach is hardly new, with so-called convalescent plasma used for more than a century to combat ailments such as the 1918 influenza epidemic, the Ebola virus outbreak, and diseases such as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) caused by other coronaviruses. Approximately 45 recovered patients from Dane County (in which the state capital of Madison is located) have donated plasma, the liquid portion of blood that contains antibodies to fight infections, and others have begun the process to donate, said Dr. William Hartman, a UW Health anesthesiologist heading up UW Hospital’s study. Each donor can help treat two or three patients, and plasma donated locally may be used at UW Hospital or other centers, Dr. Hartman said. People who would like to donate their plasma can learn more by calling 608-262-8300 or emailing uwcovid19project@hslc.wisc.edu.Login Or Register To Read Full Story