NHS Kirklees plasma appeal for coronavirus recoverers

Men who have had the virus symptoms but have not been tested are also being sought by the NHS

An urgent NHS appeal has been issued for people in Kirklees who have recovered from coronavirus to donate blood plasma for a clinical trial.

The blood plasma of people who have recovered from the virus could potentially save those who are ill, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said.

"We particularly need men to come forwards", a spokesman said.

Kirklees Council took measures to avoid local lockdown restrictions on 15 July, following a rise in new cases.

Antibodies wanted

The infection rate in Kirklees for the week to 31 August was 27.7 per 100,000 of the population. For the week including the 15 July it was 33.8.

NHSBT said it needed blood plasma donors after the local outbreak of Covid-19 for a trial to help boost the immunity of other patients who contracted Covid-19.

When a person has Covid-19, their immune system responds by creating antibodies, which attack the virus.

Over time these build up and can be found in the plasma, the liquid portion of the blood.

The donor plasma could be transfused into people struggling to develop their own immune response, NHSBT said.

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"We particularly need men to come forwards as they generally have higher antibody levels.

"We urgently need as many people as possible who have recovered to donate", an NHSBT spokesperson said.

Donations can be frozen to ensure convalescent plasma is available for future use.

Plasma can be taken at NHSBT donor centres including in Bradford and Leeds.

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