MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sonny Angara, who recently recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has donated plasma in a bid to help patients battling the illness.
“Gave my plasma and it went straight to a hospital in QC to a man on a ventilator- a severe case of COVID19. My wonderful doctors say it could save his life as the antibodies of survivors in past viruses have done,” Angara said in an Instagram post on Monday.
“I wish I could pay it back every day but the protocol is you can only give your plasma as a survivor every 14 days. (Please) pass on to any survivor— they can save lives as we speak!” he further said.
On March 26, Angara received confirmation that he tested positive for the disease.
The senator, who spent more than a week in a hospital, was sent home earlier in April after he recovered from COVID-19.
READ: Angara opens about being COVID-19 patient 754
The senator then called on the Department of Health (DOH), the country’s COVID-19 task force and local government units to exchange data on survivors of the disease—subject to their privacy rights—“so that we can help other fight this virus.”
“Hope (they) can help share databases to ask (COVID-19) patients to share their plasma. Needed by patients now,” he said in a separate tweet.
Hope @doh @ntfcovid19ph @DILGPhilippines can help share databases to ask covid 19 patients to share their plasma. Needed by patients now🙏🏽🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/RkGBmy70vW
— Sonny Angara (@sonnyangara) April 13, 2020
“Right now the hospitals just have an informal network. Agency/institutional action will speed up the process of getting survivors to donate,” he added.
Right now the hospitals just have an informal network. Agency/institutional action will speed up the process of getting survivors to donate
— Sonny Angara (@sonnyangara) April 13, 2020