MANILA, Philippines — Three coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors have donated their blood to the Philippines’ main goverment hospital in a bid to help other patients who are in critical condition due to the virus.
In a Facebook post, Philippine General Hospital (PGH) spokesperson Jonas del Rosario said the three “brave and healthy” survivors donated their blood on Thursday, Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor).
“They rose above the stigma and showed the world that their plasma is a gift of life,” Del Rosario wrote.
Del Rosario said the trio’s blood will be used for PGH’s convalescent plasma therapy, a classic adaptive immunotherapy applied to the prevention and treatment of many infectious diseases. It has been used in the treatment of SARS, MERS, and 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte urged those who survived COVID-19 to donate their blood, citing the PGH’s ongoing study on how transfusion from survivors may help those infected.
“Mag mabuting-loob kayo. And I think kung ako, I should volunteer. That is the way of thanking God that you have survived,” Duterte said in a public address aired past midnight Thursday.
Other COVID-19 survivors who are qualified and want to donate blood may contact PGH through its COVID-19 hotline at 155-200.
As of Thursday, the Philippines has 4,076 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 203 deaths and 124 recoveries.