Blood Plasma Donations: A Lifesaving Story of Achdus and Dedication

April 28, 2020

Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, center, together with participants at the Maryland Blood Plasma Drive

 

On Wednesday, April 23, thousands of Orthodox Jewish people across several states participated in special blood-antibodies screening events. The two things all participants had in common: having recovered from the dreaded COVID-19 virus, and the burning desire to help those currently suffering from it.

 

With no cure or vaccine yet available, and with all potential breakthrough drugs still in trial stages, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the globe, and many Orthodox Jewish communities. However, ongoing research in leading laboratories has led those who have recovered from the virus to now engage in helping in its very fight. While sick with COVID, patients produce blood-antibodies which enables their bodies to fight the virus. Plasma, a component of blood, contains these antibodies, and can be extracted through a 70-90 minute process. Antibody rich plasma, called “COVID convalescent plasma,” can then be transfused into actively ill patients to help them fight the disease. Although not a definitive therapy, early studies that this treatment helps improve outcomes have been promising, and doctors in the field are observing positive changes in their patients, typically within 48 hours.

 

While COVID-19 tests had limited availability in the earlier stages of the pandemic, making it difficult to know definitively who had the virus, the Mayo Clinic’s antibody titer tests screen the blood for antibodies which can prove if one had the virus, even if they had not been tested by the COVID-19 nasal swab test. Researchers from Mayo began partnering with community health organizations in order to help identify those exhibiting the telltale COVID signs, yet not confirmed as potential plasma donors.

 

Early plasma efforts and actions in the Orthodox Jewish communities in New York were undertaken by a few individuals who partnered with Agudath Israel of America. In short order the group began disseminating information and coordinating with hospitals, blood banks, and donors to facilitate donations. Building on the success in New York, the Agudah harnessed its network of regional directors, and over the next couple of weeks, more communities activated and engaged with their local health facilities and organizations. The Maryland COVID Plasma Initiative was launched last week by a small group of askanim and medical professionals working in close contact with community rabbanim and organizations.

 

The first step was to find eligible donors. Early on Tuesday, Lakewood Bikur Cholim was notified by the Mayo Clinic that their labs would accept 5,000 blood-antibody test units if testing would take place on Wednesday and delivered to their Rochester, Minnesota labs by Thursday morning. In turn, Lakewood Bikur Cholim reached out to other regional communities to offer a share in the opportunity. The Maryland COVID Plasma Initiative team sprang into action.

 

After a Tuesday evening robocall went out urging people who believe they were infected to participate, online registration opened up and nearly 500 people came forward with their information. Barely 12 hours later – late Wednesday morning – Bais Yaakov High School played host for the testing, bringing out approximately 400 likely COVID-19 survivors together with a large group of dedicated volunteers to help make the event happen. Bais Yaakov’s large auditorium was the perfect venue, allowing the volunteer medical professionals to spread out, to uphold all social distancing protocols, while they were drawing the blood and preparing it for processing.

 

After each of the blood-antibodies drives were completed, the blood samples of nearly 5,000 people from the different communities were transported to Brooklyn, New York, where they were gathered before being flown to Mayo.

 

Over the next couple of days, the Mayo Clinic will identify which samples possess adequate antibodies to potentially fight COVID-19. Next, donors will be notified and plasma donations may begin, with the hopeful outcome of helping those suffering from the virus.

 

“The sight and knowledge of so many people from so many different communities coming together in an effort to engage in potentially life-saving activities, was a true moment of Mi k’amcha Yisroel, and a Kiddush Hashem,” said Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, executive director of Agudath Israel of Maryland, and one of the plasma committee members. “It is gratifying to see that the sense of chesed in NY is a microcosm of communities’ chesed nationwide, as communities and organizations across the country are working tirelessly to give of themselves to help others,” said Avrohom Weinstock, Chief of Staff at Agudah’s national headquarters in New York.

 

The Maryland COVID Plasma Initiative wishes to thank the many organizations and volunteers who gave selflessly of their time and expertise to make the first step of this critical process so effective and successful. As we now move into the initiative’s second phase, we reiterate that appreciation, while also offering a tefillah that this effort brings forth refuos and yeshuos to those who need it.



Agudath Israel Partners with Largest New York Blood Bank To Encourage Potentially Lifesaving Blood Plasma Donations

April 28, 2020
NEW YORK, NY — One of New York’s largest blood banks is partnering with the national Orthodox Jewish umbrella group Agudath Israel of America and a network of dedicated volunteers to bring potentially lifesaving blood plasma to patients suffering from coronavirus.

 

New York Blood Center, a nonprofit with locations throughout the tristate area, will work with the Jewish nonprofit to encourage survivors of the deadly virus to donate their plasma in an effort to help coronavirus patients recover.

 

Doctors are using the active antibodies in blood plasma from people who have recovered from coronavirus to treat sick patients through blood transfusions, one of the few therapies that has shown real promise against the global pandemic. The treatment, called convalescent plasma therapy, is medically cutting edge for the treatment of coronavirus. While doctors still don’t fully understand why some coronavirus patients respond better to the treatment than others, the therapy has a track record of success when used to combat similar viruses such as H1N1, SARS, and MERS, and results from early use in coronavirus patients have been encouraging. New York Blood Center hopes to secure enough donations to maintain a bank of blood with coronavirus antibodies for use in New York City area hospitals, the center’s officials said.

 

In addition to potentially saving lives, if plasma therapy can help some patients recover more rapidly, that can open up hospital beds and relieve pressure off New York’s buckling health care infrastructure.

 

“The Jewish ethos places supreme value on life,” said Avrohom Weinstock Esq., Agudath Israel’s Chief of Staff. “We knew we could uniquely mobilize our constituents to help for something like this, but the response has exceeded our expectations. Within hours of our plasma solicitation – just before Passover no less – we had hundreds of calls to donate.”
Mordy Serle, an Orthodox Jewish attorney from Brooklyn, NY, dropped everything to help coordinate the effort. “This became personal for me when my father-in-law became seriously ill with coronavirus. After he recovered, my only thought was, ‘What can I do to help others.’”

 

Chaim Lebovits sells shoes in Spring Valley, NY, but his experience previously coordinating with Dr. Shmuel Shoham, Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the country’s leading researchers into plasma therapy for coronavirus, has been invaluable in the effort. “The amazing thing,” said Chaim, “is that none of us had met before a couple weeks ago, and now we are on the phone nonstop. We just kind of all had a common goal we were hyperfocused on, and coalesced around the project.”

 

With hundreds of new fatalities reported daily, Avrohom, Mordy, Chaim, and other volunteers have been working against the clock to accelerate and coordinate donations. “We have Zoom meetings at 3 am in our pajamas,” joked Mordy. “Whatever it takes.”

 

Danny Riemer and his wife Sheera of New Rochelle, NY were among the first volunteers to donate blood plasma in early April. “This was a way to turn our personal bouts with coronavirus into something positive that can help others,” said the Orthodox Jewish couple.

 

Agudath Israel and its volunteers are also working to help bring on board hospitals in the New York area and throughout the country to administer plasma to coronavirus patients. With the FDA now fast-tracking plasma therapy for either plasma clinical trials or immediate use, and the Mayo Clinic opening its doors for other hospitals to participate in its study, the administrative load is now lighter than most hospitals realize to start delivering plasma to critically ill patients.

 

For its part, New York Blood Bank is proud of being a leader in this field. “This is what we were created for,” said Beth H. Shaz, MD, the center’s Chief Medical and Scientific Officer. “It has been heartwarming to see Agudath Israel and the Jewish community step up in such a tangible way to get as much plasma as possible to the patients who need it.”


Blood Plasma Donations

April 28, 2020

 

 

Your blood can save lives!

 

Agudath Israel is coordinating with volunteers, organizations, and a network of hospitals to identify eligible donors and bring this potentially lifesaving therapy to COVID –19 patients.
Please complete the short survey below to see if you are eligible to donate blood plasma (the portion containing antibodies) to someone critically suffering from COVID-19.
Click here to fill out the survey!

 

Saving lives – it’s in our blood.