OC Firefighters Survive Coronavirus Donate Plasma To Save Others

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County Fire Authority Firefighters who fell ill to coronavirus in late March are now battling the disease through plasma donation.

Nearly 24 firefighters were exposed when Irvine Battalion Chief Steve Dohman first tested positive for coronavirus. All self-isolated to reduce the spread of the virus. Dohman was "patient zero," he told KTLA5 in a recent interview.OCFA Captain Paul Holaday and five other firefighters also tested positive.

Each battled symptoms for weeks in self-quarantine. Once cleared, the first responders did what came naturally: help others.

They enrolled in the convalescent plasma program through the American Red Cross. Plasma is the almost-clear liquid that remains after red and white blood cells and platelets are removed from the blood. The idea behind convalescent plasma therapy, is to get a boost of antibodies to attack the virus when transfused into patients with serious, active disease.

The treatment is still in clinical trials, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. Initial findings indicate that the antibody-rich blood plasma could save lives, or at the very least, lessen the symptoms of patients who are "less critically ill."

The practice is, as of yet, still experimental, the Times reports.
All who receive the transfusions must sign a special Food and Drug Administration waiver, they say. The strategy of transfusing convalescent plasma has been used in the past to treat viral disease outbreaks of polio, measles and mumps before a vaccine was available. More recently it has been used with some effectiveness to treat patients with SARS and Ebola.

This transfusion of blood plasma is just one of many clinical trials for COVID-19 currently underway.

"Folks who are on ventilators and have not responded are getting this treatment," American Red Cross Division Chief Ross Herron told reporters. "Some of them are coming around very quickly and getting off the ventilators."

With time, we will learn how much the plasma can help others who are battling the disease.

Patients who have successfully beaten COVID-19 can donate plasma every 28 days, the American Red Cross reported.

One unit of collected plasma can treat multiple patients, according to the Red Cross.

"One donation goes a long way," Herron said.

With no vaccine yet available and over 4,250 residents of Orange County have tested positive for the virus as of Sunday, Dohman is grateful that he can do something to lessen someone's suffering from the illness.

Dohman reflected on how his donation could help others.
"It makes me feel good to know we can lessen the severity for people, and get them back to their families," he tells KTLA.

Capt. Holaday agrees, saying: "Just knowing that we can help people get to the hospital, and help them on the backend with plasma, it's a great feeling."

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