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Battling Coronavirus: Sacramento Woman Seeks Experimental Plasma Transfusion For Father

SACRAMENTO (CBS 13) — A Sacramento woman is seeking out survivors of coronavirus to help her dad who was diagnosed last week.

Her hope is to use the immunity they developed in their blood. Local doctors are studying the possibility of using this treatment but said they aren't there yet.

Amber Bispo said her 78-year-old father is staying at Sutter Medical Center in a medically-induced coma, fighting for his life. She's desperate to help him but might not be able to in time.

"It's been really tough knowing that he's there alone and scared going through this," Bispo said.

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Bispo said her father is not responding to the medications that normally help fight this virus off. That's what prompted her to look elsewhere, and she found hope in others who have survived the virus.

"We're trying to get the antibodies from some by else's positive test to hopefully give to my dad so he could fight off," she said.

People all over the country responded to her internet plea, wanting to donate. However, science has not caught up with their desire to help.

Amber said blood collection company Vitalant is seeking the blood of coronavirus survivors but won't have a program in place for at least another week.

"It's really unfortunate to have it so early in the process because there's just not a lot of options out there for people," she said.

There are reports of plasma transfusions to COVID-19 patients in New York that were successful but there are still a lot of unknowns.

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Doctors at UC Davis are experimenting with the process and hope to start a clinical trial soon. The Dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. Allison Brashear, said it could be a months-long process and that safety is the priority.

"Blood products are complicated and I really want to stress, like drugs can have side effects, blood products can have side effects too," she said.

UC Davis is testing two possible coronavirus treatments now. One is developed from a drug used to treat Ebola and SARS and the other developed from a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Getting results is likely another months-long process.

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