Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

10 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

14 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

14 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

15 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

15 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

15 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

15 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

15 hours ago
Recovered COVID-19 Patient Donates Plasma to Help 3 Others
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
April 6, 2020

Share

Jason Garcia recovered from COVID-19 and wanted to help others. He found a way to do so by donating his plasma to three other patients.
Garcia, 36, made a full recovery from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in March. Garcia is an aerospace engineer, married, with an 11-month old at home in San Diego.

Plasma Donation and Infusion

He donated plasma for a patient in the ICU at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, on April 1. Both the donation and the infusion occurred on the same day.
“I’m glad that this turned into a positive thing,” Garcia said.

Jason Garcia donated plasma to help another COVID-19 patient. (St. Joseph Hospital)
Garcia, who had started feeling symptoms March 6 and received a confirmed diagnosis on March 14, learned about the potential to donate his plasma to treat others after being cleared by the San Diego Department of Public Health. A friend relayed his post to a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital who had put out a call for recovered patients to donate.
Saint Joseph Hospital, in an email to GV Wire, said that “3 patients total have benefited from Jason’s donation. So far, the first patient treated has seen improvement in health.”

 

Plasma May Contain Antibodies

According to the FDA, “It is possible that convalescent plasma that contains antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) might be effective against the infection.”
Saint Joseph’s is the first hospital on the West Coast to try this experimental treatment.
“We’re able to extract plasma, using an apheresis machine, and then store that and then give it to another patient, so that they receive the antibodies that’ll help them fight this disease,” said Wendy Escobedo, RN, the nursing director for Dialysis and Kidney Transplants for the hospital.

“We’re able to extract plasma, using an apheresis machine, and then store that and then give it to another patient, so that they receive the antibodies that’ll help them fight this disease.— Wendy Escobedo, RN, nursing director for Dialysis and Kidney Transplants at St. Joseph’s

Mayo Clinic Leading National Study

The Food and Drug Administration announced a national study Friday, led by the Mayo Clinic, that will help hospitals offer experimental plasma therapy and track how patients fare.
The American Red Cross will help collect and distribute the plasma. Last week, the Red Cross announced that people who have fully recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus. The Red Cross has been asked by (FDA) to help identify prospective donors and manage the distribution of these products to hospitals treating patients in need.
[covid-19-tracker]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

UP NEXT

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

UP NEXT

CHP Officer Dies in Line of Duty After Medical Emergency While on Patrol

UP NEXT

Downtown Housing Could Rise in Many California Cities, but Barriers Remain

UP NEXT

Bryan Kohberger to Plead Guilty to Murders of Four Idaho Students

UP NEXT

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

UP NEXT

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

UP NEXT

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

UP NEXT

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

UP NEXT

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

8 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

8 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

9 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

9 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

9 hours ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

10 hours ago

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

10 hours ago

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

10 hours ago

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

10 hours ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

11 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday struggled to pass President Donald Trump’s massive tax-cut...

7 hours ago

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
7 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

The Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County has rapidly expanded to 8,396 acres with no containment, prompting evacuation orders and warnings near New Cuyama. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

Andrew Biscay, 40, was arrested Friday, June 20, 2025, after deputies found him with a fake U.S. Marshal’s badge, homemade firearm, and law enforcement-style gear during a warrant arrest. (Madera County SO)
8 hours ago

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, a Madera County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to arrest a wanted felon, Felix Adrian Nucamendi Carrasco, 40, who later fled and was captured near Raymond Road. (Madera County SO)
8 hours ago

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

A wildfire dubbed the Madre Fire has burned over 3,300 acres near New Cuyama with 0% containment, officials said Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

9 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

Jose Luna (left), 33, and Ralph Grajeda, 45, both of Visalia, have been sentenced for their roles in the 2020 shotgun killing of Robert Soto at a local motel. (Tulare County DA)
9 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend