Berkshire Medical Center Joins COVID-19 Plasma Study

Berkshire Medical Center is turning to recovered COVID-19 patients for blood donations that may be able to help those suffering from the disease now.

BMC is using convalescent plasma as a treatment as part of a study being done by the Mayo Clinic.

"The idea is that you're kind of using somebody else's weaponry," said Dr. Jessica Diane Krochmal, chairman of Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

Right now there is no definitive treatment for the novel coronavirus that had killed more than 165,000 worldwide and more than 40,000 Americans. Convalescent plasma treatment is one of several avenues being pursued.

The body creates anti-bodies to attack something it registers as foreign that either kill it or stop it. These antibodies can basically be harvested by separating the plasma from the red blood cells and then using the plasma as a treatment.

Read the full story at iBerkshires.com.