Metro coronavirus survivor first in state to donate plasma to help others

ATLANTA — With the number of people recovering from COVID-19 rising, there’s a push to collect their plasma to help current patients recover more quickly.

Frank Papola of East Atlanta said he feels blessed after having beaten the coronavirus. He spent four and a half days in Piedmont Atlanta Hospital on oxygen.

He told Channel 2 anchor Wendy Corona that three of those days were brutal.

“I just can’t thank everybody enough and I just want to give back as much as I can,” Papola said. “God has blessed me.”

Papola said he is now donating his convalescent plasma through the American Red Cross. In fact, he was the first in the state to do it.

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“There are still a lot of people that are ill right now, that are waiting for the plasma,” said Dr. Baia Lasky, southeastern regional medical director for the American Red Cross. “We are looking for people who have at least have the presumption of being ill.”

Even without a positive coronavirus diagnosis, the Red Cross is screening eligible donors and scheduling donations.

Papola told Corona said it took about 45 minutes and described it much like giving blood.

“The only difference is they separate the plasma from the blood and then they actually put the blood back in you,” Papola said

Having survived COVID-19, the recent retiree believes his new purpose may lie in his plasma.

“That would just be incredible to me and really make my life worthwhile,” Papola said.

Papola told Corona that he survived H1N1 and said COVID-19 was much worse.

He said he plans to donate his plasma as often as he can, every 28 days or so.

If you would like to learn more about how you can donate, CLICK HERE.

Department of Health numbers show Georgia’s COVID-19 curve flattening Channel 2's Richard Elliot reports

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