GREENSBORO, N.C. — Almost every day I look at the COVID-19 updates put out by the CDC. I scroll through the website and look at the number of cases and deaths across the country before clicking on information specific to North Carolina. There have been more than 137,000 cases in our state and more than 2,100 people have died.
I have talked with people who have battled the virus and people who have lost a loved one because of it. I have interviewed doctors and nurses who continue to be on the front lines of this fight knowing they're putting themselves at risk of infection.
I have tried to do my part to slow the spread by social distancing and wearing my mask when I do go to stores or places to pick up food.
As a reporter, I have spoken with business owners who are struggling to stay open because of the virus and some who have been unable to open at all. I have spoken with people who feel strongly about wearing a mask and others who don’t.
In the past few months, I have met people who have dedicated the past several months to help people in a variety of ways. Many are making “homemade” PPE’s for our medical workers and essential workers. One young man spent the past couple of months fundraising to support a local non-profit that works to help families in need of food.
The list of people helping people is long and that’s a good thing. We need heroes right now to help people in need.
Millions of people are still out of work and many more dealt with lengthy furloughs or reduced hours. Our station receives dozens of calls a week from people who are now unemployed and struggling to get the benefits they need to pay for their mortgage, rent, car payments and groceries.
I am encouraged by the news I read when it comes to the many companies and hospitals, many here in North Carolina, that are involved in research and clinical trials to find a safe and effective vaccine for the virus.
Almost every week doctors and nurses are discovering new ways to treat and care for patients that fall ill to the virus. In many cases, the new approach to treating patients has been positive.
One of the treatments doctors are using involves antibody donors, people who have recovered from COVID-19.
“There are some studies from China and other places that are intriguing and suggest that using convalescent plasma early in patients requiring more oxygen is the right thing to do,” Cone Health’s Dr. Bruce Swords said.
Cone Health is part of a clinical trial right now using convalescent plasma to treat dozens of patients.
“The antibody goes and attacks the virus,” Dr. Swords said.
A few weeks ago, I decided to find a mobile blood donation location and check to see if I had the antibodies. I had been feeling good, aside from a few days, but figured there was a chance I could have been asymptomatic and would have the antibodies needed to help people.
The entire process, filling out paperwork, drawing the blood, waiting for clearance to leave took about 45 minutes. My results were back in about 10 days. Now to be clear this was not a COVID-19 test, it was an antibody test, so the results may take longer?
The results were logging in a private portal that I was able to access daily to check on. When I saw the results had been loaded, I clicked on my results. It listed my temperature, blood pressure, pulse, hemoglobin, and antibody results.
When I clicked on my antibody results there was just one word next to the date - negative. I was conflicted when I saw the results. Glad, that I had not been infected and possibly spread the virus to someone else without knowing, but also bummed that I was not able to donate my plasma to maybe help others battling the virus.
If you have had the virus and would like to donate your blood, I can tell you the process I went through was easy and seemed safe. There are many ways to get tested and donate your blood which is how I did it.