A COVID-19 patient at UW Hospital in Madison has received the first transfusion of plasma from a patient who donated it after recovering from the virus. Gary Dalgaard of Sun Prairie and his wife are both donating plasma.
“There’s so many people out here doing so much, people in the medical field that are doing so much for the rest of us. It’s nice to feel that we can play some small roll in giving back and helping a little bit.” Dalgaard said.
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and UW Health are part of a nationwide effort to study whether plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 given to patients who are seriously ill with the disease can help shorten the duration or severity of their illness.
William Hartman is a UW Health anesthesiologist heading the convalescent plasma study at UW. Hartman said that as of Monday, about a dozen people who have recovered from COVID-19 have donated plasma through the American Red Cross in Madison, to be used treating patients at UW Hospital.
“I don’t want to overplay what it is we’re doing here,” Dalggard said. “I’m just giving blood, it’s all I’m doing. It’s not a kidney or whatever. It’s a pretty minor thing that we’re doing here, that I’m doing here. Just trying to help out.”
