“There is research supporting that the convalescent plasma can be helpful for these patients,” his wife told the station. “He has a rare blood type which is AB-positive. We are also looking for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have recovered — have been symptom- and fever-free for at least 14 days.”
On Wednesday, Holly Jimenez posted on Facebook that her husband had received “a unit of convalescent plasma.”
“He had a steady day with improvement in his vital signs and lab results,” she said. She added, for people who still want to donate, “Many patients nationwide are in critical need of this convalescent plasma.”
Jose Jimenez is a nurse in Douglas County, according to KOIN. He became ill on March 20 with fatigue, body aches and chills, the station reports, and instead of getting better, got worse.
Jose Jimenez, who is also a veteran, was working on a mental health unit at the Roseburg VA Health Care System when he became sick, the report said.
On Monday, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Legacy Emanuel. A GoFundMe for his family says he is now on a ventilator, in a medically induced coma and has started dialysis.
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According to the American Red Cross, patients who have recovered from COVID-19 “have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus.”
The plasma of these recovered patients is being tested as a treatment “for patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections, or those judged by a healthcare provider to be at high risk of progression to severe or life-threatening disease,” the Red Cross says.
Fully recovered patients who are over 17, weigh 110 pounds or more and are in generally good health can fill out a form to be a donor on the Red Cross website.
— Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052, [email protected], @lizzzyacker
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