COVID-19 survivors from BFP-Cebu City donate plasma

A total of eight personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Cebu City who recently recovered from COVID-19 donated on July 22 their plasma for patients suffering from severe to critical symptoms of the infection. | Photos courtesy of BFP – Cebu City

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Eight personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Cebu City who recently recovered from the coronavirus disease have decided to share their plasma to those who continue to suffer from the infection.

BFP – Cebu City, in a statement released on Thursday, July 22, said that their plasma donation will especially be given to those who are suffering from severe and critical symptoms of the virus.

“Homan sa pila ka semana nga pakig kumbati sa COVID 19 ang pipila ka mga sakop sa Cebu City Fire Station nga nag negatibo na ug nahatagan na ug clearance sa Cebu City Health Department nagpanon ngadto sa Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center aron mo donar sa convalescent plasma aron matabangan ang labing nagkinahanglan natong mga kaigsoonan nga anaa sa kritikal nga kahimtang gumikan sa COVID 19,” said BFP – Cebu City.

(After weeks of fighting COVID-19, personnel from the Cebu City Fire Station who already tested negative for the virus and were already given clearance by the Cebu City Health Department went to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center to donate convalescent plasma to help our fellow Cebuanos who are now in a critical condition because of COVID-19.)

Plasma is a component in the blood and those extracted from COVID-19 survivors are believed to contain antibodies needed to help the immune system in combating SARS-CoV-2, a variant of SARS-CoV, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Convalescent plasma therapy is among the highly documented treatment for COVID-19 which involved infusing a healthy plasma from a donor, in this case, patients who successfully recovered from the infection, into another patient, who continues to suffer from the infection.

BFP-Cebu City is also encouraging other COVID-19 survivors to donate their plasma to help in the recovery of more COVID-19 patients.

“Hinaot nga sundon kini sa pobliko nga nagmalamposon sa pakig kumbati sa COVID-19 aron mas daghan pa unya ang matabangan,” the BFP’s statement reads.

(We hope that the public will also follow our example in order for us to achieve victory in our fight against COVID-19 and for us to help more patients.)

COVID-19 did not spare firefighters and workers of BFP in Cebu who also worked at the frontlines in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

In earlier reports, BFP – Central Visayas disclosed that at least 39 of their fire officers and workers tested positive for COVID-19. / dcb