Frankfort Regional Medical Center taking part in coronavirus plasma study

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ)- Frankfort Regional Medical Center is joining other hospitals across the country studying the effects of plasma from recovered coronavirus patients on those patients who are critically ill with the virus.

Frankfort Regional Medical Center is seeking eligible volunteers from Central Kentucky to donate plasma.

“We are proud to take part in this important study,” says Reed Hammond, Chief Executive Officer.  “We are asking for the help of our community to spread awareness about plasma donation for patients facing COVID-19 not only here in Central Kentucky, but also around the world.”

There is a history in medicine of successfully treating viral infections using plasma from someone infected who has recovered.

The hospital says after someone recovers from a virus like COVID-19, their blood contains antibodies their immune system created to help fight the virus. Infusing that plasma into patients with severe cases, can help their immune systems fight the virus better.

This approach has been used recently during out breaks of other coronaviruses like SARS-1 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but there are still more donations needed and more study before researchers can determine if the same works for COVID-19.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and since tested negative, you can donate plasma through the American Red Cross or another local donation center.

You can learn more by calling the hospital’s dedicated COVID-19 Plasma Phone Line at (833) 582-1971 or visiting https://hcahealthcare.com/covid-19/latest-updates/plasma-donations.dot.

Frankfort Regional says it is one of 172 hospitals from the HCA Healthcare network taking part in the study.