KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, is appealing to recovered COVID-19 patients to donate blood to assist in the treatment of patients who are still fighting the virus.

Speaking during the ministry’s weekly COVID Conversations press briefing this evening, Dr Tufton said the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is testing the use of plasma from recovered patients as treatment for patients who are still ill.

The minister noted that this approach is one that is being tested globally and has been approved by the hospital’s ethics board.

“Essentially, they get positive recovered cases to donate blood and they extract from that the plasma, which should have some antibodies, and they use that to treat existing positive cases, more specifically, those who are being severely affected by the COVID infection,” Dr Tufton explained.

He noted that the UHWI has received positive feedback from patients willing to help and encouraged those who are interested in helping to contact the UHWI to begin the process.

“Contact the University Hospital of the West Indies, hear the details of it. I mean all it is is donating blood, so from your perspective it’s a relatively harmless procedure,” he said.